Coke and Pepsi Blink, Will Tone Down Dubious Caramel Coloring

“While we believe that there’s no public health risk that justifies any such change, we did ask our caramel suppliers to take this step so that our products wouldn’t be subject to the requirement of a scientifically unfounded warning,” says Ben Sheidler, Coca-Cola spokesman.

“We are NOT changing our recipe; or our formula,” he clarifies to Agence France-Presse in an email.

“What we did do is direct our caramel suppliers to make a manufacturing process modification in order to reduce the level of 4-MEI in our caramel so as to meet the requirement set by the state of California’s Proposition 65.”

“The changes will not affect the color or taste of Coca-Cola. Over the years, we have updated our manufacturing processes from time to time, but never altered our secret formula,” the company says.

But Coca-Cola will still continue to sell the old form of its drink in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe — with no cautionary labeling.

Caramel is a perfectly safe ingredient and this has been recognized by all European food safety authorities, the company says in a press release.

“The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reaffirmed the safety of caramel coloring as recently as March 2011 and stated that the presence of 4-MEI in caramel coloring isn’t a health concern. In fact, 4-MEI is found in many foods including baked goods, coffee, bread, molasses, soy sauce, gravies and some beers.”

For its part, PepsiCo says its beverages “are and always will be safe for consumption.”

“Consumers will notice no difference in our products and have no reason at all for any health concerns,” it says. But like Coca-cola, PepsiCo says its caramel suppliers have already made the change in California and that they would be expanding use of the process across the US.

“There’s no scientific evidence that 4-MEI in foods and beverages is a threat to human health,” says Gina Anderson, a PepsiCo spokeswoman. “The FDA and other regulatory agencies, including the European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada, consider caramel coloring safe for use in foods and beverages.”

2,900 cans of cola every day for 70 years
Her statements were backed by the American Beverage Association, the trade group that represents non-alcoholic beverage makers in the U.S.

“The science simply doesn’t show that 4-MEI in foods or beverages is a threat to human health,” the trade group says.

“California’s listing was based on a single study in lab mice and rats. A person would need to drink more than 2,900 cans of cola every day for 70 years to reach the lowest dose levels mice received in the single study upon which California based its decision,” the group points out.

“This is nothing more than CSPI scare tactics, and their claims are outrageous. The science simply doesn’t show that 4-MEI in foods or beverages is a threat to human health.”

“In fact, findings of regulatory agencies worldwide, including the US Food and Drug Administration, European Food Safety Authority and Health Canada, consider caramel coloring safe for use in foods and beverages,” the ABA reiterates in a statement.

Widely used in food industry
The Financial Times reports that caramel coloring is widely used in the food and beverage industry and growing concerns could eventually lead to more widespread changes.

Nestlé — the world’s biggest food company by sales — continues to use caramel coloring, which may include trace levels of 4-MEI, the Times says.

While the company has proudly announced its removal of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from the 79 confectionery products it sells in the UK, it hasn’t changed it caramel coloring because global regulators in the US and Europe consider it to be safe.

But Nestle says it will closely monitor the advice of public health authorities and scientific literature on caramel coloring. “Presently there’s no evidence to support the removal of caramel food coloring from our products,” it says.

FDA
The U.S. drug regulator is also reviewing the CSPI’s petition. It says it’s now working with manufacturers to ascertain if the current limits on the caramel carcinogen provide enough protection for consumers.

“It’s important to note, a consumer would have to consume well over a thousand cans of soda a day to reach the doses administered in the studies that have shown links to cancer in rodents,” says Douglas Karas, an FDA spokesman.

Indeed, the watchdog has set off a significant change. While it’s not the first time that Coca-Cola changed the recipe of its flagship drink – it’s done that only very seldom. From the original recipe in 1886, cocaine was replaced by caffeine in 1904. But the most controversial change was in 1985, when the New Coke with a sweeter taste was introduced. The product flopped, lasting just three months before the original was reinstated.

That’s 27 years ago. Only the threat of having a cancer warning placed on their famous red label has forced Coca-Cola to revise its closely guarded ingredients again.

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Coke and Pepsi Blink, Will Tone Down Dubious Caramel Coloring. Posted 16 March 2012.

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