EDF and Health Groups Petition FDA to Ban Cancer-Causing Chemical Methylene Chloride in Food Uses due to Decaf Coffee Link

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and four other health advocacy groups have petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration to ban methylene chloride from food uses due to cancer concerns. Methylene chloride, a chemical used in decaffeination processes for coffee beans, has been linked to liver toxicity, neurological effects, and death at high exposures or ingestion levels on its own. The EPA has proposed banning consumer and commercial uses of the chemical by 2023 due to cancer risks but still allows it in food under federal law through a clause called Delaney Clause that requires the FDA to ban any additive proven carcinogenic when consumed or administered for therapeutics purposes. However, some coffee companies have added alternative methods such as liquid carbon dioxide and warm water processes while others like Starbucks continue using methylene chloride through direct contact method with a solvent that is ultimately evaporated during steaming, washing, and roasting at high temperatures. The FDA has not commented on the petition’s approval status since December when they accepted public comment suggestions up until March this year. Regardless of how much methylene chloride is used in coffee products today compared to decades ago, health experts recommend consumers do their research before purchasing decaf beverages and look for labels such as solvent-free or Swiss Water processed/certified organic while being cautious about toxic load intake given that individuals are exposed to multiple environmental contaminants daily. The petitioners argue the Delaney Clause has not been adhered by the FDA since its introduction 66 years ago, and safer decaffeination methods exist without posing cancer risks to consumers or factory workers.