Comment from American Beverage

Summary: The American Beverage Association opposes the removal of methylene chloride from the FDA's approved food additive list, arguing that scientific evidence supports its safe use in decaffeinating coffee and that revoking its authorization would cause significant economic harm. They highlight that residues pose negligible risk and request that if the FDA proceeds with a revocation, it must provide the industry with adequate time and enforcement discretion to transition to alternative methods.