Drinking colas boost cancer risk?
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Michael F. Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released an article in the Huffington Post on Feb 17 saying the food coloring - caramel coloring used in colas and other soft drinks including Pepsi-cola and Coca-Cola are found to contain carcinogens 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole.
Animal studies suggest these chemicals can promote lung, liver, and thyroid tumors.
Dr. Jacobson explained there are four types of caramel colorings and the one to be concerned about is made by reacting sugars with ammonia and or sulfites.
He said 4-methylimidazole was found in colas by the University of California at Davis to exceed the limit allowed in the products sold in California where 2- and 4-methylimidazoles are considered carcinogens.
Dr. Jacobson suggested that the harm that may be caused by 2- and 4-methylimidazole containing caramel colorings also known as Caramel IV found in a can may not be greater than 10-teaspoons of high fructose syrup in a can of cola.
The CSPI on Feb 16 submitted a citizen petition to the Food and Drug Administration to ask the agency to ban use of caramel colorings which are derived from sugar-ammonium compound and or sulfite reactions.
One study conducted by Dr. Taka Shibamoto and J. K. Noon at the University of California at Davis and cited in the petition shows 0.30 to 0.36 micrograms/milliliter (ug/ml) of 4-methylimidazole was present in representative brands of colas, which the consumer group assumed included Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. Dr. Shibamoto is a professor at Department of Environmental Toxicology at UC-Davis.
The carcinogen 4 or 5-methylimidazole does not form during a thermal process called caramelization, which does not involve nitrogen-containing compounds. Instead, it forms udring Maillard reaction, that is, reactions between nitrogen-containing compounds like amonium compounds and reducing sugars.
David Liu, Ph.D.
Photo Credit: Jorge Bach, CSPI
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