Say goodbye to decaf coffee in America? Maybe.

If you work early in the morning, you are probably a coffee drinker, many people are. It's safe to say that the bulk of coffee drinkers in the early hours do drink coffee for the caffeine, however. There are a number of people that drink coffee strictly for the flavor and don't want caffeine because it makes them jittery, and they don't want to stay up late at night. 

Full disclosure, I'm not a coffee drinker, I never have been. I used to get my caffeine from soda but I'm trying to taper it off now. (easier said than done) I don't mind the taste of coffee, especially if it's in ice cream with chocolate. (I'm trying to taper that off too.) 

But if you are a decaf coffee drinker, you may have a problem because they're talking about banning decaf coffee in the United States. 

According to foodandwine.com,
“Decaffeinated coffee beans are standard coffee beans with the caffeine stimulant removed, and the way that chemical is removed, well, can be controversial. The chemicals used in the process have been linked to several health risks, which can be worrisome for the 26 million Americans who drink decaffeinated coffee each day. Recent discussions of banning methylene chloride, a likely carcinogen often used in the decaffeination process, have confused and concerned decaf drinkers.” 

Right now, the FDA says that a small amount of methylene chloride can still be found on coffee beans. (about 10 parts per million) but now there is debate as to whether or not that amount is small enough. 

according to cdc.gov, 

“Methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) is a colorless liquid that can harm the eyes, skin, liver, and heart. Exposure can cause drowsiness, dizziness, numbness and tingling limbs, and nausea. It may cause cancer. Severe exposure can cause loss of consciousness and death.”   

If you're concerned about this and still want to get a safe cup of decaf coffee, there are options. One of the things you can do is log on to thecleanlabelproject.org. There you will find out which labels of decaf coffee have Methylene chloride and which labels do not. 

Like I said, I'm fine not drinking coffee in the morning. I will say my coworkers can't make it through the day without multiple shots of caffeine.  

(I'm talking about you, Connor and Aly.) 

Decaf Coffee Might Soon Be Banned in America: Here's Why (tasteofcountry.com)
Methylene Chloride | NIOSH | CDC
Decaf Coffee Could Potentially Be Unsafe for Human Consumption (foodandwine.com)
Federal Register :: Filing of Food Additive Petition From Environmental Defense Fund, et al.; Request To Amend the Food Additive Regulations To Remove the Solvents Benzene, Ethylene Dichloride, Methylene Chloride, and Trichloroethylene