The coffee in your cup right now could be giving you cancer and a California judge says there needs to be a warning label on your favorite java.
- Non-profit group says acrylamide may cause cancer
- Some studies show that coffee helps lower some cancer risks
A ruling now requires coffee makers like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts to put cancer-warning labels on their products.
The ingredient at the center of the debate is called acrylamide, a probable carcinogen created in the bean roasting process.
A small non-profit called The Council for Education and Research on Toxins is calling out the coffee industry for using it, saying coffee companies either need to remove the chemical or put a warning label on their products.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle agreed with the organization.
By law in California, a warning label is required for about 900 chemicals known to cause birth defects or cancer.
However, the National Coffee Association stated the level of the chemical in coffee is not harmful and any risks are outweighed by benefits.
Asked if they would stop drinking coffee because of the ruling, reactions were mixed.
"I think if the study had real backing, I would take it into consideration and think about switching to tea more than coffee," said Grace Morrison.
Roberto Torres, owner of The Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters, said his first reaction about the ruling is "it puts us in the same category as cigarettes and that's the not the case by any means."
Dr. Gerald Fitzgerald, with Fitztropics Medical Associates in Largo, questioned the ruling.
"The chemical acrylamide is in many, many foods and we're still not sure even how it's formed," he said. "And it's in such small amounts and it's also only a potential carcinogen, so the jury's still out on that as well."
In 2016, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization moved coffee off its "possible carcinogen" list.
Studies indicate coffee is unlikely to cause breast, prostate or pancreatic cancer, and it seems to lower the risks for liver and uterine cancers, the agency said. Evidence is inadequate to determine its effect on dozens of other cancer types.
Coffee companies have said it is not feasible to remove acrylamide from their product without ruining the flavor.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.