If you happen to be long time reader of ahappyhippymom.com than you are already aware I’m a formidable hater of aspartame. In my view, the unnatural sweetener ought to be substituted with something far more stable in food products and additionally band inside of the United States. Nonetheless, at least manufacturers are forced to list the substance on the ingredients label so consumers are able to have well informed purchasing power to avoid the chemical should they opt to. But could there be something out there lurking within our food items that could even be much more dangerous than aspartame and companies aren’t demanded to openly list it on the ingredients label?
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a toxin present in two common soda brands may very well be resulting in 15,000 cases of cancer in people a year! New chemical studies have discovered that Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Diet Coke, and Diet Pepsi contain excessive levels of a chemical substance identified as 4-methylimidazole, a recognized animal carcinogen. The carcinogen forms when ammonia or ammonia and sulfites are utilized to produce the “caramel coloring” that gives sodas their prominent distinctive dark brown colors.
The CSPI is lobbying for the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its authorization for caramel colorings that contain 4-MI, and in the interim to change the name of the additive to “ammonia-sulfite process caramel coloring” or “chemically modified caramel coloring” for labeling purposes. However, even though the CSPI is calling for the FDA to change label requirements, for now, it’s perfectly legal for soda to contain hidden carcinogens without any disclosure on the label.
Michael F. Jacobson, the CSPI executive director, stated “Coke and Pepsi, with the acquiescence of the FDA, are needlessly exposing millions of Americans to a chemical that causes cancer.” He further implied “The coloring is completely cosmetic, adding nothing to the flavor of the product. If companies can make brown food coloring that is carcinogen-free, the industry should use that. And industry seems to be moving in that direction. Otherwise, the FDA needs to protect consumers from this risk by banning the coloring.”
Pepsi is already taking responsible measures and advised CSPI that it has switched to a coloring in California consisting of significantly less 4-MI and intends to do the same throughout the remainder of the country.
To put things in perspective, CSPI suggests soda consumers needs to be considerably more worried about the high-fructose corn syrup as well as other sugars found in soft drinks. CSPI further implies Soda drinkers are greatly predisposed than non-soda drinkers to develop weight gain, obesity, diabetes, along with other health issues.
What do you think? Time to give up the soda or merely yet another consumer cancer scare?
Source: http://www.cspinet.org/new/201203051.html
I think that the companies are guilty of knowingly putting carcinogens in the pop. They should stop it immediately or be pulled off the shelves. Isn’t this supposed to be done by our food and drug administration? Money is involved somewhere or it would be done. Our paid agencies by our tax money again aren’t doing what they are supposed to do.
I agree with Rita
I only caught a piece of this on the news and had no idea what they were talking about because they really didn’t explain it at all and they said in MEN so that wasn’t clear either. I had no idea it was from making the dark color caramel in the soda and I switched to coke about 6 years ago from sprite and if I had known this I would not of done that. Now that I have drank coke for so long nothing taste as good to me but I think that is more habit than anything and It’s back to sprite for me. Thanks a lot FDA for nothing and THANK YOU MICHELLE FOR DOING THE FDA’S JOB AND NOTIFYING US~!