Long Beach Attorney Sues Starbucks, 7-Eleven Over Coffee

LONG BEACH, CA -- A California attorney is suing coffee retailers alleging they aren't complying with Proposition 65, a law requiring businesses to warn consumers if their products contain certain chemicals.

Raphael Metzger, an attorney based in Long Beach, said coffee sold by companies like Starbucks and 7-Eleven have the chemical acrylamide.

"In his initial complaint in 2010, Metzger alleged that a 12-ounce cup of coffee contains about 10 times more acrylamide than the state’s 'no significant risk level,'" according to a Bloomberg article. "The case grew to include about 90 coffee producers, distributors and retailers, from mom-and-pop roasters to multinationals such as Nestle. Most of the companies are working together in their defense."

But a representative from the National Coffee Association told Bloomberg its retailers don't believe there's a cancer risk associated with acrylamide.

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