Can the FDA ban chemicals in decaffeinated coffee? Agency investigating whether substance used by Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts to remove caffeine could cause CANCER

The FDA is investigating whether to ban a chemical used to make the majority of decaffeinated coffee in the US.

Methylene chloride binds to the beans and extracts caffeine from the beans and is used in major chains such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts.

But campaigners say the fact the chemical has been linked to cancer in rats makes it illegal, pointing to a little-known 1958 rule banning food additives that animal studies show can cause cancer.

The FDA is currently considering a petition from activists at the Environmental Defense Fund to ban decaffeinated coffee made with methylene chloride, with a response expected within a few months.

It could leave America’s 10 million decaffeinated coffee drinkers without access to the brew or its claimed benefits, including improving heart health and longevity.

The 1958 law, known as the Delaney Clause, states that “no additive shall be considered safe if it is found to cause cancer when ingested by humans or animals.”

Campaigners successfully used the rule in 2018 to seek a ban on seven artificial food flavors commonly used in ice cream and sweets, such as pulegone, which was used to imitate the peppermint flavour.

They now hope to do the same with methylene chloride. The chemical is found in trace amounts in decaffeinated beans, most of which is washed away after decaffeination or destroyed when the beans are roasted.

Toxicologists claim that the amount is so small that the boiling water to which the beans are added likely contains more of the chemical.

But studies have previously linked the chemical to cancers detected in both humans and animals – albeit via larger doses.

This includes a study in mice, where the rodents developed tumors in the lungs and liver after being exposed to methylene chloride in the air.

And a 2013 human meta-analysis involving more than 3,000 adults found that participants exposed to the chemical had a higher risk of multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

Campaigners say this is enough evidence under the law to ban the method in the US.

This worked in 2018, when the agency agreed to the ban under the law, despite having “reasonable assurance that the substances do not cause harm under the intended conditions of use.”

The petition is now closed to public comment, and a response from the FDA is expected within 90 days.

As part of the process, the FDA will review the data in the petition to ensure it is consistent with the findings.

If so, it could change its regulations to no longer allow the use of methylene chloride in the production of decaffeinated coffee.

In 2018 – when the agency banned seven food additives following a petition – manufacturers were given 24 months to update their recipes.

The FDA said at the time: “While we are changing our food additive regulations for these synthetic flavors in accordance with the Delaney Clause, the FDA’s rigorous scientific analysis has determined that they do not pose a risk to public health under the circumstances of their use.” intended use.’

“The synthetic flavorings that are the subject of this petition are typically used in very small amounts in foods available on the U.S. market and their use results in very low exposure levels and low risk.”

There are alternative methods of decaffeinating coffee, including washing beans with steam – the so-called Swiss method.

But manufacturers insist this process is much more expensive and less effective than the method using the chemical – the so-called European method.

Bill Murray, the president of the National Coffee Association, told DailyMail.com: “Decaf would certainly be in short supply if unwarranted bans were implemented at federal and state levels.

‘The majority of decaffeinated coffee is made according to the European Method (using methyl chloride) and has been doing so for more than 50 years.

“Unjustified bans would effectively deprive decaffeinated drinkers of the significant health benefits that research shows are associated with drinking coffee, including the European decaffeinated method.”

Several studies have linked exposure to the chemical in rodents to cancer, with papers from 1986 showing exposure to methylene chloride in the air led to tumors in the lungs and liver.

The EPA said in 2016 that animal studies have also shown an increase in tumors in the breasts after inhaling the chemical.

A further 2022 assessment by the agency found that the chemical could cause nervous system and developmental problems.

There have also been studies in humans linking the chemical to cancers.

a meta-analysis published in 2013 In more than 3,000 adults, participants were found to have a higher risk of multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, after exposure to the chemical.

Participants were adults who manufactured camera film – which contains the chemical – and were regularly exposed to about 20 to 40 ppm through breathing polluted air.

A special one meta-analysis published in 2011 also pointed out a possible link between the chemical and brain, breast and liver cancer.

California is also considering its own separate ban on decaffeinated coffee made with methylene chloride.

The EPA also previously banned the chemical in paint strippers, citing concerns about its health effects.

It comes after California also became the first state in the US to ban four candy chemicals linked to cancer and cancer hyperactivity.

The move has set off a chain reaction, with other states — including Illinois and Pennsylvania — considering a similar move.

The FDA also announced that it will consider banning brominated vegetable oil, included in the California law, due to concerns about its effects on human health.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the FDA for comment.