Could decaf coffee be banned?

Consumer health advocates are urging the Food and Drug Administration to ban methylene chloride, a key chemical used in the decaffeination process of coffee beans, according to CNN.

The chemical, also employed in paint removers, metal cleaners, and pharmaceuticals, has been associated with eye, skin, liver, and heart injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The petition is based on concerns about the chemical's potential to cause cancer.

Methylene chloride, a colorless liquid used in various industrial processes, has been classified as a carcinogen by the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Health Organization.

It has also been linked to liver toxicity and neurological effects, and exposure to high levels of the chemical can be fatal, as stated by Dr. Maria Doa of the Environmental Defense Fund.

The EPA has already banned the sale of methylene chloride as a paint stripper, and in 2023, proposed a ban on its sale for other consumer uses. However, the FDA still allows its use in food products, reported CNN.

The Environmental Defense Fund and other groups argue that the FDA's allowance of methylene chloride in food disregards the Delaney Clause, a 66-year-old addition to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, reported CNN. The clause mandates the FDA to ban food additives proven to cause cancer when ingested by humans or animals.

The FDA is currently reviewing the petitions but refrains from commenting on them during the review process, according to an FDA spokesperson.