California Court Ends Decade-Old Wrongful Lawsuit Against America's Favorite Beverage

26 August 2020 | NEW YORK – Judge Elihu Berle of the Superior Court of California affirmed yesterday (Tuesday) the state of California’s May 2019 evidence-based finding that acrylamide found in coffee following the roasting and brewing process does not cause cancer.

National Coffee Association (NCA) CEO William “Bill” Murray welcomed the ruling and reaffirmed NCA’s strong support for California’s regulatory finding on the issue. Murray commented:

“NCA welcomes the decision to summarily dismiss this decade-old wrongful lawsuit against America’s favorite beverage and uphold the state’s regulation regarding coffee and Proposition 65.

The court’s decision marks another great day for science, coffee drinkers, and Californians. The evidence is clear - drinking coffee is associated with reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, and multiple cancers. Coffee drinkers live longer, healthier, happier lives.”

California’s regulatory authority, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), first announced its determination on coffee and Prop 65 in June 2018, initiating a

period of rigorous public consultation, peer review by the Carcinogen Identification Committee and approval by the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) before its May 31, 2019 finalization.

As OEHHA has previously noted: “There is overwhelming scientific evidence that consumption of coffee poses no increased risk of cancer; to the contrary, consumption of coffee may lower the risk of several types of cancer.”

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Press inquiries: Contact media@ncausa.org

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