Fact check: Has the EU branded coffee 'harmful' for humans?

News reports and viral social posts are claiming that the EU has labelled coffee as dangerous for humans.

A headline from opinion-orientated news channel GB News accuses "meddling Brussels bureaucrats" of declaring coffee unsafe, while The Telegraph has led with the line that the EU has labelled coffee as dangerous because caffeine is "harmful to humans if swallowed", stoking fears of a coffee-ban around the bloc.

Yet another article from NDTV World says that the EU has banned caffeine outright, and attempts to explain why, and more articles from the likes of Global Guido, The Daily Mail and The Daily Express also attempt to whip up fury against the EU for allegedly paving the way to ban coffee.

The articles vaguely refer to a report on using caffeine in pesticides, without providing any links or official names.

What has the EU actually said?

An internet search of key terms first takes us to a more accurate article by The Independent, which mentions an application by French company Progarein to use caffeine as a pesticide for cabbage, potatoes and other crops.

Another search with this information eventually leads us to an October 2024 decision by the European Commission, responding to Progarein's request to approve caffeine "as a basic substance to be used in plant protection as insecticide in cabbage, potatoes and Buxus spp. and as molluscicide in all edible and non-edible crops".

The Commission ultimately decided not to let the company use caffeine as a basic pesticide substance, based on scientific advice that it requested from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

It said in the decision that "caffeine is harmful to humans if swallowed", noting that it has detrimental effects on the body.

"With regard to human health, the [EFSA] also noted ... that caffeine has adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, hydration and body temperature in adults, as well as on the central nervous system (sleep, anxiety, behavioural changes) in adults and children, and an adverse birth weight-related outcome in pregnant women," the Commission said.

"Furthermore, due to the absence of data, the [EFSA] could not conclude its assessment of non-dietary risks for operators, workers, bystanders and residents," it added.

However, it's misleading to say that this means the EU has labelled coffee as harmful to humans, because it's referring to high doses of pure caffeine rather than your cup of morning brew. 

The EFSA's caffeine fact sheet says that there's about 90mg of caffeine in an average cup of filter coffee, 80mg in an espresso and 50mg in a black tea, and that an intake of 400mg throughout the day doesn't raise safety concerns for the healthy adult general population.

It also says that single doses of caffeine up to 200mg from all sources shouldn't cause any particular issues for an average, healthy adult.

It's only after about five or six cups of coffee that caffeine might start to get harmful for your sleep and mental health in the short term, cause cardiovascular problems in the long term, and stunted foetus growth in pregnant women, according to the EFSA.

"The single doses of caffeine considered to be of no concern for adults may also be applied to children, because the rate at which children and adolescents process caffeine is at least that of adults, and the studies available on the acute effects of caffeine on anxiety and behaviour in children and adolescents support this level," the authority says.

So despite the misleading headlines, the EU isn't banning caffeine in drinks, and Europe's coffee dates and afternoon tea are safe.