Judge Elihu Berle in Los Angeles has decided that Starbucks and other coffee shops are required to put cancer warnings on their coffee products in California in the United States of America.
An organisation that works for education and research on toxins sued Starbucks and other businesses in 2010.
The organisation believed the companies have avoided informing the public that the coffee products they sell contain high levels of ‘acrylamide’, which is a toxic, carcinogenic substance.
As acrylamide is classified as carcinogenic in the state,companies must use warning labels on products that contain the substance, the organisation claimed. They referred to a law that requires warnings on products containing harmful chemicals.
The company argued that the level of the substance is so low that it is not harmful. However, the judge stated that they could not prove this, and thus imposed an injunction on giving warning to consumers.
‘’Once again, it has been proven that coffee is a healthy drink. This lawsuit has fooled the bill, confused consumers, and done nothing to improve public health’’, said the United States National Coffee Organisation (NCA).
Starbucks and 90 other companies have until April the 10th to appeal the decision.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today