Methylene chloride safe for use in decaffeination processes
1983
An assessment of several studies of interest to food scientists indicates that methylene chloride (MeCl2) poses no risk to human health at the levels of its use in decaffeinated coffee. A recent long-term animal study found that MeCl2 produced a carcinogenic response. The dose levels of MeCl2 used in this study, however, was estimated as being equivalent to a person drinking 12-24 million cups of decaffeinated coffee each day for life. Further, the use of corn oil as a gavage for dosing the animals with MeCl2 raised the question of its possible implication in tumor incidence. A separate long-term study in which rats were fed MeCl2 in their drinking water produced no carcinogenic effect. Epidemiological data also support the safety of MeCl2 in decaffeinated coffee. (wz)
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