California may soon declare coffee a cancer risk

California may declare a favorite beverage to be a cancer risk.

A lawsuit set to be resolved in the coming months may have a judge officially declare coffee a cancerous health risk.

Proposition 65, The Safe Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, is a 1986 California state law that requires businesses and public places to post warnings if anything could be potentially harmful.

There are 900 possibly cancer-causing chemicals on the list the proposition covers, including Acrylamide, which occurs when foods are cooked at high temperatures.

Acrylamide, which was declared a carcinogen by the World Health Organization 25 years ago, is released when coffee beans are roasted.

Should the judge decide coffee is indeed a cancer risk, all establishments that serve coffee would be required to post a Proposition 65 sign, declaring a potential health risk.