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Coffee filters contain carcinogens

Different brands of coffee filters are displayed at a Consumers' Foundation press conference yesterday. Foundation officials announced that seven out of 11 sampled brands contained carcinogenic fluorescent pigments. PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Seven out of 11 brands of coffee filter papers sampled by the Consumers' Foundation contained carcinogenic fluorescent pigments, foundation officials said yesterday.

The filters were collected by the foundation in September and October -- seven from hypermarkets and chain coffee shops in Taipei and four others from stores in Japan, the officials said.

Tests on the samples indicate fluorescent pigments were contained in six of the products purchased in Taiwan and in one sample purchased in Japan, they said.

They said that although the fluorescent pigments did not dissolve in the water during the tests, consumers should pay attention to the existence of the cancer-triggering substance.

The foundation yesterday urged consumers to select paper filters that look light brown in color, because this was the color of the four samples that did not contain fluorescent pigments.

Coffee chains that were fingerpointed by the foundation -- Dante (丹堤), Starbucks (星巴克), Barista (西雅圖) and Ikari (怡客) -- said yesterday that they would remove the alleged paper filters from the shelves if they really contain fluorescent pigments.

Dante said it imports the filters from the UK and would reproduce them to fulfill local regulation.

Ikari's filters are sourced from Japan, and the company is currently examining the issue with its distributors and Japanese supplier.

Starbucks said the company imports the filters from the US, but stressed that their products conform with US sanitary regulations.
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