Viewpoint: Welcome to California, where coffee causes—and prevents—cancer

Starbucks cancer pics
Image: Nexter
This article or excerpt is included in the GLP’s daily curated selection of ideologically diverse news, opinion and analysis of biotechnology innovation.

California’s Proposition 65, which began its miserable life as The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, now has little to do with safe water or safe anything else. It’s a bad joke to scientists, a plague on California businesses.

The enforcement of Prop 65 is based on a “bounty hunter” system – any individual can sue a company for failing to “warn” shoppers that their product(s) contain one of the 900+ chemicals now on the list, regardless of whether there is an actual risk or not.

Since the presence of a chemical/food on the list, which now numbers more than 900, has little or nothing to do with public health, it is reasonable to conclude that the absence of a chemical won’t make a difference either. So, now all you California coffee drinkers can relax and enjoy your cuppa Joe knowing that all of a sudden it is safe because California, in all its wisdom, has decided that coffee is exempt from the provisions of Prop 65.

Related article:  UK biotech firm poised to test disease-resistant CRISPR bananas and coffee in South America

In fact, coffee has been studied countless times; the consensus is that it either has no impact on cancer or prevents it. Only in California could coffee both cause, and prevent cancer.

Read full, original article: In California, Coffee Is No Longer Carcinogenic. Was It Ever?

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