A Los Angeles County judge has ruled Wednesday that California law requires coffee companies to bear a cancer warning label, officials said.

Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said in a proposed decision that Starbucks and other coffee companies failed to show the threat from a chemical compound produced in the coffee roasting process was insignificant.

The Council for Education and Research on Toxins filed a lawsuit in 2010 that targeted several companies, including Starbucks and 7-Eleven.

The nonprofit group sued under a state law that requires warnings on a wide range of chemicals that can cause cancer. One is acrylamide, a carcinogen present in coffee, according to court documents.

Under the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also known as Proposition 65, businesses must give customers a “clear and reasonable warning” about the presence of agents that affect health — and that these stores failed to do so, said the lawsuit.

The state keeps a list of chemicals it considers possible causes of cancer, and one of them, acrylamide, is created when coffee beans are roasted, according to Proposition 65.

The coffee industry had claimed the chemical was present at harmless levels and should be exempt from the law because it results naturally from the cooking process to make the beans flavorful.

“Coffee has been shown, over and over again, to be a healthy beverage. The U.S. government’s own Dietary Guidelines state that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Bill Murray, CEO of the National Coffee Association. “This lawsuit simply confuses consumers, and has the potential to make a mockery of Prop 65 cancer warning at a time when the public needs clear and accurate information about health.”

California judicial decisions can be reversed by a higher court, but the case stands until appeal

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for KHTS email and text alerts today!