If a lawsuit in California is successful, Golden State stores that sell coffee will have to warn customers that drinking a cup of joe may be a cancer risk, according to news reports. But coffee companies argue that although coffee does contain a possible carcinogen — a chemical called acrylamide — it isn’t present in the drink in levels that are high enough to increase the risk of cancer in people.So, what does the science say? Can the acrylamide lurking in coffee increase a person’s odds of developing cancer?
What is acrylamide?
Although the lawsuit focuses on coffee, acrylamide is present in several types of cooked foods, as well as cigarette smoke. The chemical forms when foods, usually starchy ones — including coffee beans, french fries, potato chips, canned black olives, breakfast cereals and toast — are heated to high temperatures, Marji McCullough, strategic director of nutritional epidemiology at the American Cancer Society, told Live Science previously. McCullough is not involved in the California lawsuit, which was filed in 2010. A private mediation with some of the defendants is set for Feb. 8, CNN reported…
FINISH READING: Does Coffee Contain a Carcinogen? Here’s What the Science Says
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