Roasted coffee warnings in CA

[SteelCity]

I just noticed in a few Starbucks in California a Warning sign on the prep counter saying the roasting process for coffee beans causes cancer... Are you kidding me? Never saw this in any other state.

Curious if any members out there saw warnings in other states.

 

[shah8]

burnt toast can cause cancer.

Anything with a bunch of chemicals randomly thermally destroyed are going to have carcinogens at some dose. The more complex the item originally is, the more carcinogens.

More in depth for everything...

http://www.roastmagazine.com/currentissue/currentissue/labelundeserved.html

 

[Jasonian]

It's a CA thing. <3 legislation to protect the stupid from themselves.

What they don't tell you, is that most Americans get most of their antioxidants from that same cup of coffee. Go figure.

 

[JPDyson]

I have this theory - everything is a carcinogen.

 

[takeshi]

Never saw this in any other state.

Applies to quite a few things regarding CA (ask our payroll staff).

Can't remember what it was but my wife ran across the same warning for some other food item. As always, consider the source.

 

[Crixus]

Variations on the "charred steak" apocalypse warnings of the 80s.

 

[redrako]

If you think about it, when you use large amounts of many compounds, chemicals substances, apply heat to transform those chemicals, releasing small amounts of gases, particles or other by-products, it's not unlikely that you can create small amounts of chemicals that would be carcinogenic.

Multiply that small exposure by the many hours in a work week and you have a perfect recipe for a long-term exposure to a carcinogen. Non-smoking restaurant workers the perfect test for this.

This a real public health measure, not a matter of protecting the stupid from themselves. There is no reasonable way for a lay person to be able to estimate the long-term effects of combinations of chemicals and the processes applied to them.

Measures like this do show how enmeshed chemicals are in our daily lives and reinforces how new they are to us in evolutionary terms. Just like 19th century Englishmen had to learn how to not use high-lead content Tin cans to store acidic food or to weave easy-to-clean cloth napkins from asbestos (simply throw in the fire after dinner...)

It's important to separate amazement at regulations and warnings in our litigious society from real public health science.

 

[Greyfox]

Typical left coast nanny state BS

 

[ouch]

I knew Jim and Scott were trying to kill me.



My theory: moderation causes cancer.

 

[SteelCity]

I'm just clad there are no health warnings when I BBQ my Kingston charcoal to cooked my burgers, sausage and hot dogs while my bacon is frying on a hot plate. I think the smoked wood chips I use are also anti-oxidants...

 

[Go West Young Man]

California is covered with Prop 65 warning signs, anywhere that you might exposed to certain listed toxic chemicals you can probably see a sign somewhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_65_(1986)

The intellectually lazy like to laugh at some of the more obvious extreme examples, but in fact it's led to a lot of consumer products being reformulated to reduce potential toxicity and a lot of building materials and practices have been changed as well.

 

[Altair]

Yeah prop 65 warning signs. They are everywhere. They make those carcinogen statements at restaurants. Even with alcoholic beverages.

 

[DogHair]

"Scientist have discovered that saliva causes cancer. . . . but only when swallowed in small quantities over a long period of time." George Carlin

 

[BrianL]

Warning: Reading cancer warnings may cause cancer.

 

[smalltank]

My friend who is an MD always said he knew Starbucks used "heavy metals" in their process though couldn't ever prove it

 

[thIs6Nly]

My apartment causes cancer.
How do I know?
The Prop 65 sign tells me so.

 

[Argonaut]

Many, many things are "Known to the State of California" to cause cancer.

 

[Bertilak]

I remember back in the late '90s, when the Y2K scare was all the rage, Letterman had a Top Ten list: "Top Ten Headlines of the Year 2000".

One of them was "Oat Bran: The Silent Killer". Must have been a California paper. And toasted oat bran.

 

[echotron]

LET'S PLAY YOU'RE OKAY BUT GUESS WHAT ISN'T?

"Okay Bob, what is the next item up for Government Warning?"

"Well, Tom, it is your toilet! The warning reads" Hard surface - do not slam head against. After using, water in bowl should not be consumed, except by witchdoctors orders! Caution lid may fall on male genitalia causing trauma, etc ... "

 

[ouch]

My friend who is an MD always said he knew Starbucks used "heavy metals" in their process though couldn't ever prove it

If he couldn't prove it how did he know? I would think a doctor would know the difference between the words "know" and "suspect".