If you go to grab a cup of coffee in California, it may come with a cancer warning.
A superior court judge in Los Angeles ruled this week that coffee shops should be required to post a warning that drinking coffee could increase the risk of cancer. The ruling was preliminary, but it could lead cafes and restaurant owners across the state having to put up warning signs, CNN reports.
The problem stems from acrylamide, which is on a California’s list of chemicals that could potentially cause cancer. The chemical is created when coffee beans are roasted.
The California Safe Drinking Water and Tax Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Prop 65, requires that California business disclose when any chemicals on that list are present. The rule has led to warning labels on everything from airports to Disneyland for chemicals found in those building’s construction.
The judge in the coffee case has given defendants, which include the coffee chain Starbucks, until April 10 to file objections to the proposed ruling.
