Why some question the safety of decaf coffee
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/05/30/1717078588210.gif)
Some environmental activist groups and lawmakers are worried about the most common method used to decaffeinate coffee.
Why it matters: Decaf has long been considered a safe way to enjoy a cup of Joe for those cutting back on caffeine.
- An estimated 7% of adults in Indianapolis and the rest of the Midwest drank decaf coffee in the past day, according to the National Coffee Association.
Between the lines: The European method of making decaf coffee is the one that most coffee companies use (Starbucks calls it the "direct contact method"). It typically involves a controversial chemical: methylene chloride.
- Methylene chloride is considered a potential carcinogen by OSHA.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates methylene chloride when it is used to decaffeinate coffee. Exposure to its residues must not exceed 10 parts per million.
How it works: In the European method, coffee beans are steamed and rinsed with methylene chloride, and then the liquid (along with much of the caffeine) is removed.
- The coffee beans are then washed, steamed and roasted at temperatures that cause the liquids to evaporate, according to the National Coffee Association.
- This process removes about 97% or more of the caffeine in coffee beans — so instead of 95 milligrams of caffeine in a cup, it's more like 2 milligrams.
The latest: Groups including the Environmental Defense Fund petitioned the FDA this year to ban the use of methylene chloride in food, and a California bill amended this month calls for the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to study its health impacts.
What they're saying: "It should be concerning to everyone that pregnant women and those with health issues looking to cut back on caffeine are unknowingly sipping trace amounts of methylene chloride in their decaf coffee," says Jaclyn Bowen, the executive director of the Clean Label Project, which signed onto the FDA petition.
The other side: National Coffee Association president and CEO Bill Murray says he hasn't seen compelling evidence from environmental groups that the European method is harmful and should be banned.
Reality check: The Clean Label Project concluded in a double-blind test that the amount of methylene chloride present in decaf coffee was below the 10 parts per million FDA limit.
Yes, but: The FDA made that decaf ruling back in 1985, when the agency also proposed banning the use of methylene chloride in hair sprays and cosmetics because the chemical appeared to be carcinogenic to animals by inhalation.
What we're watching: Although the European method of making decaf is still legal, concerned consumers could start seeking out decaf made from other methods, like the Swiss Water Process.