Carcinogens in Our Coffee?
Carcinogens in Our Coffee?
As a junior in college, I will be the first to admit that I am a faithful customer of Starbucks, as are most college students with multiple test, projects, and homework assignments due daily. With that being said, I could definitely say with confidencethat I have always been ignorant to what exactly goes on behind the scenes. Not the counter, but on a even deeper level, like say molecular. What exactly am I drinking in that Tall Mocha Frappe cup? What I have recently found out has definitely made me step back and reconsider my favorite choice of energy source. Starbucks and other big name coffee chains are being sued in California
in order to get them to label their coffee products as having a carcinogen, named Acrylamide. The plaintiff company is claiming that because of the levels of acrylamide in these chains’ coffee the consumers have the right to be warned.
Acrylamide
Acrylamide or acrylic amide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula of C3H5NO.
It's IUPAC name is prop-2-enamide. It is a white and odorless crystalline solid that can be
decomposed non-thermally to form ammonia, and thermally to produce carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide, and different oxidated forms of Nitrogen.
Acrylamide was ACCIDENTALLY discovered in foods in April 2002 by scientists in Swedenwhen they found the chemical in starchy foods, such as potato chips and french fries, as well as bread that had been heated higher than 120 °C. It is also a by-product of roasting coffee beans, hence the lawsuit against Starbucks and other big named coffee shops. Estimates for the proportion of acrylamide in adult diets coming from the consumption of coffee range from 20 to 40%
Sources :
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2014/09/big-name-coffee-chains-starbucks-cancer-acrylamide-fight-california
I find it appalling that our FDA doesn't see an issue with the fact that one of the biggest industries in America is poisoning our population slowly. It also makes me wonder whether or not the levels of the carcinogen are great enough to affect the overall health of it's consumer. Is our FDA really that nonchalant when it comes to the well-being of the very nation it is supposed to protect, or has it become to consumers job to research the toxins we are exposed to everyday? It isn't as if the population would stop drinking coffee altogether, but having a better understanding of what is in our foods/drinks may help us make wiser healthier choices.
ReplyDeleteWow. I am originally from California and I can't even began to count how many times I have been in a Starbucks to get a coffee. This really makes me sick and definitely makes me rethink ever going back into a Starbucks until they have banned carcinogens!
ReplyDeleteWhoa! I love Starbucks. I can't believe they would allow something such as this. The FDA needs to be more concerned and open to the public about this. Starbucks is one of the world's leading companies. I could easily go there everyday. They're slowing poisoning us and we know nothing about it!
ReplyDelete