National Coffee Association rejects calls to ban European method decaffeinated coffee

12 Mar 2024 --- US-based National Coffee Association (NCA) has rejected calls by activist group Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) over its recent petition with the FDA, which demands a ban on the most common decaffeinated coffee — the European Method decaf — over the detection of methylene chloride.

The NCA warns that the move would “deny” decaffeinated coffee drinkers access to a safe product associated with decreased risk of multiple cancers and other health benefits.

The EDF has cited tests by another activist group called the Clean Label Project (CLP), which claims to have detected minute traces of methylene chloride, a chemical used during the European Method of decaffeination. The CLP is also lobbying the California State Assembly to ban the coffee, prohibiting the use of the compound during decaffeination.

“Banning European Method decaf would defy science and harm Americans’ health,” says Bill Murray, CEO and president of the NCA.

“The overwhelming weight of independent scientific evidence shows that drinking European Method decaf is safe. Neither EDF nor CLP have presented anything resembling compelling evidence to the contrary, so FDA and the California legislature must reject these baseless proposed bans.”

The NCA says there is enough scientific evidence to back the safety of European Method decaf.FDA has published EDF’s petition and accepted publish comments until March 11, 2024. 

Flavor-preserving method
Decaffeination removes about 97% or more of the caffeine in coffee beans. A typical cup of decaf coffee has about 2 mg of caffeine, compared to a standard cup of regular coffee with about 95 mg of caffeine.

In the US, approximately 10% of adults consume decaffeinated coffee daily, the majority being made using the European Method for over 50 years. 

The process involves steaming the green coffee beans to open their pores and rinsing them with methylene chloride, which bonds to caffeine and removes it. Caffeine extraction follows, while the remaining liquid is re-used for decaffeination.

The technique retains flavor, effectively removes caffeine, conserves energy and water and any trace of methylene chloride remaining on the beans remains “considerably below” the safe standard set by the FDA (10 parts per million), explains the NCA.

CLP claims to have tested 17 decaffeinated coffee samples and admits all range from more than 10% to more than 99.5% below the safe level set by the FDA. But the NCA says these tests have not been independently verified.

Health benefits
A UK Biobank data study found that drinking three cups of coffee per day could reduce overall mortality by 12%. It also observed similar associations for decaffeinated coffee, along with instant and ground coffee.

Consumers are curious about and often search online for coffee’s health benefits.Drinking coffee can also reduce the risk of liver cancer and endometrial cancer, based on California’s scientific agency. The American Cancer Society too, updated its dietary guidelines in 2020 for cancer prevention and concluded that coffee reduces the risk of skin, mouth and throat cancer and “likely reduces the risk of liver and endometrial cancer.”

The NCA also cites the World Cancer Research Fund, which states there is strong evidence that coffee decreases the risk of liver and womb cancers.

However, regulators and health authorities in the US and EU advise moderate caffeine intake as  part of healthy diets for most adults, generally up to 400 mg per day, or about four to five cups of coffee.

In other coffee news, Kerry Group’s subsidiary c-LEcta and German coffee tech firm Anka recently formulated a new food enzyme to reduce acrylamide in instant and ready to drink coffee beverages.

Edited by Insha Naureen