After I gave up fake sugar, my coffee consumption took a hit. And subsequently, the frequency that I sought out the siren. I think my Starbucks gold card membership is in jeopardy.
But for any of you who have been to the ‘bucks lately, you may have noticed this at the milk/sugar bar.
Uhhh…
After further research, I found it was due to the acrylamide from roasting coffee beans.
Legally, places that serve products with this chemical have to inform us (the consumers). Hmmm. It’s nice to feel empowered with this knowledge, but the way it is presented is a little…how shall I say…IN YOUR FACE.
Here’s more info – complete with a freaky chart showing that there’s acrylamide in TONS of other products (not just Starbucks’ coffee) including soft bread, French fries, potato chips, cereal, popcorn, pretzels, peanut butter, etc.
Before you start freaking the eff out, though, know that acrylamide is not an ingredient added to food, but rather, a naturally-occurring substance that formulates in (carbohydrate) foods that are roasted, baked, toasted, or fried over the temperature of 120 degrees Celsius. Foods cooked through the boiling process show almost no traces of acrylamide.
I’m not entirely convinced this info needs to be shoved down my throat at the Starbucks hot bar, but it’s nice as a consumer to have the information. Maybe we should just ditch processed foods. Thoughts?
Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me? So, say I invite some friends over for brunch and accidentally burn their toast in the toaster…should I get out my marker board and fashion my own Prop 65 before I allow my guests to sit down to eat? Please! I think this is a going a little overboard! I understand if it is a chemical/substance that is pumped into your food or drink, but if it’s something that occurs naturally, who cares?
Signs such as those are ineffective because if someone wants their coffee.. they will have it regardless. (Much like some countries that have pictures of oral cancer on cigarette packages.. which don’t stop smokers from smoking them.)
What prompted that legislation?
Interesting. I haven’t noticed these at our local ‘bucks in WA. I tried to follow the “here’s” link though and it said page not found. Thanks for the post!
yeah, the WARNING!!! is a little brash. But still…icky stuff! I think I may boil more things now…
I’m down with ditching processed foods…we add acrylamide to protein gels and we have to wear gloves when we work with it! Scary stuff that I don’t really want to be ingesting. Now I’m worries for the boyfriend. He drinks several cups of coffee a day…
So this happens when I bake cookies?? Yikes! I don’t drink coffee, but the boyfriend does.
It’s good info to know I guess, but that is definitely in your face. I guess they’re going for the same approach of showing smokers what mouth cancer looks like and what a pair of smoker’s lungs look in order to scare them into not smoking.
I also tried the “Here’s” link, but it didn’t work for me either. Thanks for the informative post!
just letting you know the “here” link works again! we were in the process of moving the site when I saw this post… thanks a bunch!
Hmmmmmm……..makes me want to be all raw!!!!
I know that you can make cold pressed coffee but that isn’t going to change that the coffee beans are roasted!!
Kind of scary. Ignorance is bliss? This may be a bit of extra incentive to cut out processed foods, carby-treats, and drift towards raw.
so interesting…havent come across that sign yet, and doubt i will over in these parts, but good to know. i still dont think i’ll be able to shake my coffee habit. i like it way too much…taste, smell, caffeine. but i will certainly think twice about baked goods and such.
I learned all about acrylamide in my nutrition classes. I remember having a multiple choice exam question asking which of the following does not contain acrylamide…all I remember is that it definitley forms from toasting bread!
Proccessed foods are such a headache…you think something is actually good for you and then this happens! All I know is that there is no way I could give up toast….acrylamide or not!
I agree with bloss joss, gnorance really is bliss sometimes 🙁
People have been roasting and drinking coffee for awhile now– I don’t think there’s a huge risk in continuing to drink it.
Prop 65 is a California thing, so those outside the state wouldn’t be familiar with the notices– they pop up a lot of places, including stores that sell crystal (some contain traces of lead). The idea of prop 65 is that you’re supposed to be able to look up a MSDS on the substance and control your exposure if you’re worried about that particular thing. I think it started to make sure that people working with hazardous chemicals at their jobs knew what they were being exposed to.
OK that is kind of terrifying, because aren’t MOST carbohydrates (well…”standard” ones anyway) heated to way over 120 C? Does this mean that the cookies I bake at 375 F are going to give me probs? I mean…might be worth it. I’ve never heard of Prop 65 and never seen those signs anywhere, so must be a CA thing?
i think it is a ca thing. i agree, its bizarre because it seems to imply that everything would have acrylamide. i dont even know whats safe anymore.
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