Light Roast Coffee

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Light roast coffee is produced by roasting green Coffea arabica or Coffea canephora beans at lower temperatures (approximately 175–205°C), yielding a lighter brown color, higher acidity, and greater retention of chlorogenic acids and antioxidants than darker roasts. It is consumed as a brewed beverage and used as a flavoring ingredient in a wide variety of food products including ice cream, confectionery, and baked goods.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Light roast coffee contains relatively higher acrylamide levels than darker roasts due to the inverse relationship between roasting degree and acrylamide concentration, though levels in very light to medium roasts typically remain below the EU benchmark of 400 µg/kg; acrylamide is classified by IARC as a probable human carcinogen (Group 2A) but has not been conclusively shown to cause cancer in humans at typical dietary exposures. IARC re-evaluated drinking coffee in 2016 (Monographs Vol. 116) and reclassified it to Group 3 (not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans), noting probable protective effects against liver and uterine endometrial cancers. Caffeine content in light roast coffee warrants restriction in pregnant women, infants, children, and individuals with cardiovascular or anxiety-related conditions.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Restricted	Coffee itself is permitted as a food. Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2158 sets acrylamide benchmark (mitigation) levels: 400 µg/kg for roasted coffee and 850 µg/kg for instant (soluble) coffee. Light roasts typically fall at or below the 400 µg/kg benchmark, while medium-dark to dark roasts may exceed it. Operators are required to implement mitigation measures and monitor acrylamide levels.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	California Proposition 65 (state-level): OEHHA issued a regulation in October 2019 exempting coffee from Prop 65 cancer warning label requirements for acrylamide, concluding that coffee consumption does not pose a significant cancer risk at typical intake levels.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — Caffeine crosses the placenta and is slowly metabolized during pregnancy; most health authorities (WHO, FDA) recommend limiting total caffeine intake to under 200–300 mg/day to reduce risk of low birth weight and miscarriage.

Lactation — Caffeine passes into breast milk and can accumulate in infants who metabolize it poorly; nursing mothers are advised to limit coffee consumption and time intake away from feeding.

Infants — Infants lack the hepatic enzymes to metabolize caffeine effectively; coffee and caffeine-containing beverages are contraindicated in this age group.

Children — Caffeine in light roast coffee can cause sleep disruption, elevated heart rate, and anxiety in children; pediatric health organizations broadly discourage caffeine consumption before adolescence.

Hypertension — Caffeine acutely raises systolic and diastolic blood pressure; individuals with uncontrolled hypertension are typically advised to limit caffeinated coffee intake.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Dietary acrylamide and human cancer; even after 20 years of research an open question, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. Safest Roasting Times of Coffee To Reduce Carcinogenicity, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Acrylamide formation and antioxidant activity in coffee during roasting — A systematic study, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Optimization of the roasting conditions to lower acrylamide content and improve the nutrient composition and antioxidant properties of Coffea arabica, 2020. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5IARC. Drinking Coffee, Mate, and Very Hot Beverages — IARC Monographs Volume 116, 2016. iarc.who.int

Independently researched5 citations