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Original report:
For many of us, coffee is an essential part of our daily ritual.
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Cigarette smoke also contains acrylamide.
AndStarbuckshas already posted the warnings even though the company has not settled out of the case at this point.
(Remember, this ruling and Prop 65 only apply to these companies stores in California.
So you probably wont see this warning in your coffee shop in New York, for example.)
That being said,CERT v. Starbucks Corporation, et alis likely far from over.
Kathryn Wilson, doctor of science (Sc.D.
), who researches cancer epidemiology at the Harvard T.H.
The report reads, In the absence of direct human data, the Friedman et al.
(1995, 224307) and the Johnson et al.
(1986, 061340) chronic rat drinking water studies were the only available cancer bioassays.
But animal studies arenot always reliable predictorsof what will happen in humans in the same scenario.
For one thing, rats and humans metabolize acrylamidedifferently.
So what do we know about the effects of dietary acrylamide in humans?
Its the amount of the chemical, not its presence or absence, which determines its potential for harm.
Chan School of Public Health, tells SELF.
Also, acrylamide isnt known to bioaccumulate or build up in the human body over time.
Some amount of acrylamide can be found in almosteverything we eat.
It’s alsonot possibleto eliminate the acrylamide content in coffee, at least not with existing beans and technology.
The chemical forms naturally when the beans are being roasted.
[Theyre] responsible for most of the flavors and aromas of all kinds of [foods].
California has made efforts to make the warning signs better and more worthwhile.
Im not sure that theyre really doing much for people.
Wilson says that, as a public health researcher, she fears these warnings could be a detriment.
On that note, coffee has also been associated with certain health benefits.
Dr. Giovannucci says putting warnings in a coffee shop encourages people to act fearfully rather than consider the evidence.
