California moves to declare coffee safe from cancer risk

LOS ANGELES — California health officials are proposing a regulation change that would declare coffee doesn't present a significant cancer risk.

The proposal announced Friday would counter a recent state court ruling that found coffee should carry warning labels because of a carcinogen found in every cup of brew.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment says that a review of more than 1,000 studies published this week by the World Health Organization found inadequate evidence that coffee causes cancer.

If the regulation is adopted it would be a huge win for the coffee industry which faced potentially massive civil penalties after losing a lawsuit over the issue.

A nonprofit group successfully sued Starbucks and other roasters and retailers to require warnings on coffee because of a cancer-causing chemical produced in the roasting process.