Critics demand ban on popular method over cancer risk concerns

WASHINGTON (TND) — A debate is brewing over decaf coffee, with critics calling for a ban on the most common method that uses a chemical. According to the government, this chemical, methylene chloride, can potentially increase your risk of developing cancer.

"Studies show that 70% of consumers of decaffeinated coffee are pregnant women or people with health conditions like heart disease, and because of that so many of these people already have other confounding health variables," Jaclyn Bowen, Executive Director of the Clean Label Project. "As a mom-to-be, it was just an especially pressing and concerning issue that I wanted to take off on behalf of unborn babies as well as pregnant women."

The European method is the most popular way to decaffeinate coffee. The coffee beans are steamed and rinsed with methylene chloride.

The Clean Label Project, the Environmental Defense Fund, and others advocate for the Swiss Water Process which decaffeinates coffee without the potentially harmful chemical.

"There is evidence that it causes kidney effects, liver effects, and higher levels that can cause neurological effects. So the question is, Why allow this in your food at all?" questioned Maria Doa, the senior director of chemicals policy at the Environmental Defense Fund.

Even if you were exposed to small amounts of this carcinogen, you're exposed to so many other things daily, you can't look at this one exposure by itself, you know? It can impact you particularly since you may be exposed to other harmful chemicals so it builds up, so looking at it in isolation is a false way to look at it.

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized prohibitions and workplace protections under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for methylene chloride to protect human health.

EPA’s final rule:

• Prohibits manufacturing, processing, and distribution of methylene chloride for all consumer uses.
• Prohibits most industrial and commercial uses of methylene chloride, including paint and coating removers. Consumer paint and coating removal was prohibited in 2019.
• Creates strict workplace protections through a Workplace Chemical Protection Program to ensure that for the remaining uses, workers will not be harmed by methylene chloride use.
• Requires manufacturers (including importers), processors, and distributors to notify companies to whom methylene chloride is shipped of the prohibitions and to maintain records.

However, on the other side of the decaf debate are groups and scientists who doubt the risks of a cup of joe.

"It's important to start by saying that coffee is one of the most popular beverages on the planet and one of the most studied. There are decades of independent scientific evidence showing that coffee contrary to these claims, is actually associated with reduced risk of multiple types of cancer and with multiple chronic diseases," declared Melissa San Miguel, the spokesperson for the National Coffee Association.

The majority of decaffeinated coffee has been made using the European method, the one that's been discussed for more than 50 years. It's affirmed as safe by the US government, as well as by the European Union, which has one of the most respected food safety systems in the world, and by other governments around the world. About 10% of American adults drink decaf every day again, the majority of which is made using the European method, and there's no evidence of any risk to them.

Dr. Christopher Labos is a cardiologist and epidemiologist. He wrote the book, "Does Coffee Cause Cancer?: And 8 More Myths About the Food We Eat." He asserts that there is no need to ban the European method.

I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that it's more dangerous than any other method. I know it's not as if there is a shortage of data on the health effects of coffee. There are innumerable studies on the health effects of coffee both regular coffee and decaf and everything else. We have not. Or at least I have not seen anything to suggest that there's any real danger to coffee in terms of causing cancer or any other disease. In fact, there's some suggestion that it might be beneficial for some selected things, although the evidence there is a little bit more shaky.

Labos added sugar, foods high in salt and trans fats are more problematic, in his opinion.

The government limits how much methylene chloride can be in decaf.

• In coffee as a residue from its use as a solvent in the extraction of caffeine from green coffee beans, at a level not to exceed 10 parts per million (0.001 percent) in decaffeinated roasted coffee and in decaffeinated soluble coffee extract (instant coffee).

Critics warn the 1985 ruling is outdated.

The Environmental Defense Fund petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year to ban the use of methylene chloride in food.

"We would like the FDA to revoke the approval for methylene chloride to be used on decaffeinated coffee," Doa continued. "They're safe alternatives. Decaf coffee is important for, you know, if you're pregnant and you don't want the caffeine, and you should be able to have a safe cup of decaf coffee."

"Any ban or unjustified restriction would limit the availability and affordability of that product that is sought out by 10% of American adults every day for whatever reason they choose decaffeinated coffee if they did not have access to that product," San Miguel noted. "They might be unable to access a product that's proven not only safe but to have health benefits."

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