Cancer-Causing Substance Detected in Coffee of China’s Starbucks

Cancer-causing substances were detected in coffee sold by 20 major companies, including Starbucks in the U.S. and Luckin, a native Chinese coffee brand.

On the 9th (local time), Xinhua Daily reported that the Fujian Consumer Rights Protection Committee and the Fuzhou Consumer Rights Protection Committee recently jointly sampled the ingredients of 59 types of coffee products sold online and offline by 20 coffee shops in the Fuzhou area. The results showed that all of these coffees contained a cancer-causing substance called ‘Acrylamide’.

Acrylamide is an organic compound found in wastewater treatment facility coagulants, coatings for paper cups and straws, and some foods like fried and barbecued items.

Although it has been confirmed to cause cancer in animal experiments, research results on humans have not yet been released, so it is classified as a potential carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated it as a Group 2A probable human carcinogen.

The Consumer Rights Protection Committee said, “Acrylamide was detected in all coffee products under investigation, including famous brands such as Starbucks, Luckin, and Koti Coffee, at a rate of 11.1∼30.4 micrograms per kilogram (1 microgram is one-millionth of a gram).”

The product with the most Acrylamide was the Americano black coffee sold by Mocker Coffee, with 30.4 micrograms per kilogram detected. The Acrylamide detection amount in Luckin’s sugar-free Americano was 24.7 micrograms per kilogram, and Starbucks’ vanilla latte was also found to contain 13.8 micrograms.

The Consumer Rights Protection Committee recommended that “There are no restrictions or prohibitions on Acrylamide in coffee in China yet, but it is not suitable to drink excessively.” They also advised, “Sensitive people such as pregnant women and teenagers should reduce or stop drinking coffee, and the general public should avoid drinking excessively for a long period, and it is recommended to drink 1∼2 cups a day.”

Xinhua Daily reported, “According to the research results, it was found that an adult would have to drink 12 kilograms of coffee every day to reach the carcinogenic amount. Because it is virtually impossible to drink this amount every day, there is no need to worry excessively, but it is always right to appropriately control the intake of harmful substances.”

By. Won Ji Lee