Article Decaf coffee is not safe for human consumption, health advocacy group warns (Apr 2024)

Michael Harrop

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https://www.wfsb.com/2024/04/06/decaf-coffee-is-not-safe-human-consumption-health-advocacy-group-warns/

By CNN Newsource staff
Published: Apr. 6, 2024 at 9:59 AM PDT

(CNN) – Some health advocacy groups are arguing that decaffeinated coffee is not safe for human consumption.

Those groups are petitioning the FDA to ban methylene chloride, a key chemical used to remove caffeine.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, that chemical is used for paint stripping, metal cleaning and degreasing, and other industrial processes.

Experts say methylene chloride has been designated as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and Environmental Protection Agency, among others.

The state assembly in California recently introduced a bill to ban the chemical from the decaffeination process.

The FDA says it is currently reviewing the petitions.

An FDA spokesperson said in an email that residue limits of methylene chloride have been set to limit exposure.

Not all coffee brands use the same process for decaffeination.

Is decaf coffee safe to drink? Experts weigh in on claims by health advocacy groups https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/04/health/decaf-coffee-methylene-chloride-cancer-wellness/index.html
 
Format correct?
  1. Yes
Yep! All chemicals used to remove caffeine don't seem a good thing to have in our body, even in the "safe limite". As a rule of thumb, keep close to what mother nature provides and we'll be fine. Thanks for the heads up!
 
That is very interesting. Its been over 15 years since I was a semi regular coffee drinker. One of the vague memories of my early college days was a conversation I had one weekend about the coffee grounds being left in the basket. It was not something I understood at the time. 48 hours or less after brewing the coffee, my girlfriend noticed mold in significant amounts when taking the basket out to wash it. Im not sure how a 180F steady stream of hot percolating water going through the coffee, does not effectively sterilize it. Apparently not only is there a process by which coffee is de-caffeinated, there is also one in which beans are 'inoculated' that has been closely monitored for its adverse or possible benefits as well.
 
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