Selasa, 26 Juni 2012

Calls to ban Coca-Cola colouring that has been linked to cancer

Calls to ban Coca-Cola colouring that has been linked to cancer

  • Campaigners to write to UK health ministers calling for an outright ban of the colouring
  • Coca-Cola strenously denies there is any health risk to humans

By Sean Poulter

PUBLISHED: 16:33 EST, 25 June 2012 | UPDATED: 01:42 EST, 26 June 2012

Campaigners are calling for a ban on a colouring linked to cancer which has been found in Coca-Cola sold in Britain.

A chemical in the caramel colouring that gives the drink its distinctive colour has been at the centre of a health alert in the United States.

Coca-Cola has recently switched to a new manufacturing process in America to bring down the level of the suspect chemical, 4-methylimidazole (4-MI).

Concern: A chemical found in all Coke drinks in the UK is at the centre of a health alert in the U.S.

Concern: A chemical found in all Coke drinks in the UK is at the centre of a health alert in the U.S.

But this precaution has not yet been taken in other countries such as Britain, where its products are the nation’s biggest selling soft drinks with sales of £1.1billion a year.

The amount of 4-MI found in regular Coca-Cola cans sold in Britain was 135 micrograms â€" some 34 times higher than the 4mcg level in the US, according to research by the US group Center For Science In The Public Interest in partnership with Britain’s Children’s Food Campaign.

Health authorities in California are so concerned that they have passed a law that requires any can of drink containing a 4-MI reading of 30mcg or more to carry a health warning. If this safety assessment was applied in Britain, all cans of Coke would have to carry a warning.

The contaminant results from the industrial process, involving ammonia, that creates the caramel colouring. Chemical reactions between sugar and the ammonia result in the formation of 4-MI, which has been found to cause cancers in laboratory tests with mice and rats.

The results of the campaigners’ research are to be published in the International Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Health, and today they will write to British health ministers calling for an outright ban on the colouring.

Malcolm Clark, campaign co-ordinator at the lobby group, said: ‘Coca-Cola seems to be treating its UK consumers with disdain. The company should respect the health of all of its customers around the world, by using caramel colouring that is free of known cancer-causing chemicals.

4 billion cans sold in UK every year

‘The UK Government must regulate to protect public health from companies that aggressively market sugar-laden drinks that lead to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.’

Manufacturers say it is possible to provide a caramel colour that is totally free of 4-MI, however it is four times more expensive.

The CSPI examined regular Coca-Cola from around the world. In the US the 4-MI level was 4mcg per 355ml. The figure was higher in every other country, from 56 in China to 267 in Brazil. Diet Coke and Coke Zero were not included, but earlier tests suggest they tend to have one third less of the contaminant than the standard drink.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in California, which made the warning labels law,  said: ‘Studies published in 2007 by the federal government’s National Toxicology Program showed that long-term exposure to 4-MI resulted in increases in lung cancer in male and female mice.’

Recipes: The level of 4-MI in Coca-Cola in the UK was found to be significantly higher than the version sold in the United States, according to a study

Recipes: The level of 4-MI in Coca-Cola in the UK was found to be significantly higher than the version sold in the United States, according to a study

California’s experts suggest that regular consumption of 4-MI at its warning label level of 30mcg would cause cancer in one in 100,000 people over their lifetimes.

Coca-Cola strenuously denies there is any human health risk from 4-MI. 

It said the decision to change the manufacturing process in the US, made public in March, was to avoid the need to apply ‘scientifically unfounded’ health warnings to cans and bottles.

The British arm of the comp any said it will change the caramel colouring used in its drinks in this country, but was unable to put a timescale on it.
It said: ‘We intend to expand the use of the reduced 4-MI caramel globally as this will allow us to streamline and simplify our supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution systems.’

The British Soft Drinks Association said there was no need to ban caramel colours containing 4-MI.

A spokesman said: ‘The 4-MI levels found in food and drink products pose no health or safety risks. Outside the state of California, no regulatory agency in the world considers the exposure of the public to 4-MI as present in caramels as an issue.’

The spokesman and Coke said food safety watchdogs in Britain and Europe have both decided the presence of 4-MI in caramel colouring is not a health concern.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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... As the brain cancer causing radiation from cell phones becomes recognized, odds are the land of fruits and nuts will be the first to ban exposure for children. Cell phones are the next generation's cigarettes... - Dacy, Kansas City USA, 26/6/2012 11:07 Unfortunately for you, all the actual evidence shows that cell phone radiation is far too low in energy to stimulate cell mutation and thereby give rise to the potential for cancer. There is a ton of empirical evidence available, try reading some of that and not a load of baseless scaremongering BS.

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When will the powers that be realise people will eat, drink and smoke what they want, when they want. We are all intelligent enough to make our own decisions.

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I remember this story in the 1970s my mum told me about it is such old news caramel has always been linked to cancer

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Many people have been drinking Coca Cola regularly since at least the 1950s...surely if this colouring was *that* dangerous then all of these people would have died far before the other people who have never drunk Coca Cola in their lives? Until people start living years longer than others because of things that are/aren't in their diet then I think I'll take my chances.

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It might be easier if we knew what doesn't cause cancer as most things seem to.

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It's true that we always lag behind the US in banning chemicals etc that are no good for us. Aspartamine is another one to avoid. I think moderation here is the key. A little bit of what you fancy does you good!

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E150d, If i have anything with E150c in it i have visual/cluster migrains for days. All chemical colourings should be band as most do not show that it has the colouring in it. Who do i sue for the pain and discomfort of the chemical as it is clearly not a food alergy.

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Interesting use of English in your headline, DM. You've got that work-experience boy in again, haven't you? So it appears that cancer is still available in this country - jolly good, nice to know we're not missing out on anything.

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Why on earth would you want to drink something harmful to other life forms. - Rob, Yorkshire, 26/6/2012 07:52 - loads of the stuff we eat/drink will kill other life forms, and vice versa!

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The British arm of Coca-Cola said 'it was unable to give a time-scale for when it changes the caramel colouring'. How about the relevant government departments giving them one, or is the food industry now as untouchable as the banking industry?

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