According to Consumer Reports, there are too many sodas being distributed with “caramel coloring” in it, which is more technically known as the chemical 4-methylimidazole (4-Mel).
The chemical can cause cancer, so products that exceed the limit of 29 micrograms needs to contain a warning label that states "WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer."
However, CNN reports that Consumer Reports did their research on one can of Pepsi One purchased in California, which had exceeded the amount of the chemical but did not have a warning label on the 12-ounce can.
In a statement, a Consumer Reports toxicologist, Dr. Urvashi Rangan, said, "We are concerned about both the levels of 4-MeI we found in many of the soft drinks tested and the variations observed among brands, especially given the widespread consumption of these types of beverages,” adding, "There is no reason why consumers need to be exposed to this avoidable and unnecessary risk that can stem from coloring food and beverages brown."
The Consumer Reports testing showed that brands like Coke, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero had low levels of 4-Mel and Sprite had virtually none. The levels varied from state-to-state, as their first round of tests should New York-purchased sodas had more chemicals in them. The good news is that in their two rounds of tests, levels of 4-Mel were significantly lower in the second test.
.“The fact that we found lower amounts of 4-MeI in our last round of tests suggests that some manufacturers may be taking steps to reduce levels, which would be a step in the right direction,” Dr. Rangan said.
image: Wikimedia Commons
