A significant coffee controversy is brewing as two activist groups and a California lawmaker have petitioned to ban European Method decaf — the most common form of decaffeinated coffee — because it is produced using chemical solvents, including methylene chloride, which bind to the caffeine and extract it from the beans.
The National Coffee Association says the decision would “unjustifiably deny decaffeinated coffee drinkers access to a safe product associated with decreased risk of multiple cancers and other health benefits,” while the petitioning groups have voiced concerns that the federal government is shirking its responsibilities in allowing methylene chloride to be consumed. “FDA has been disregarding the law by permitting these long-established carcinogens to be added to food,” Maria Doa, senior director for chemicals policy at Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement to Quality Assurance.
