Cancer-Causing Ingredient Found in Pepsi Products Nationwide – Except California!
That’s the headline of theCenter for Environmental Health’sefforts to expose Pepsi and its lackluster actions to remove of a carcinogenic caramel coloring ingredient 4-MEI. According to CEH, last year both Coke and Pepsi agreed to remove 4-MEI, a known carcinogen, from its caramel coloring.
The move, however, was not borne out of corporate goodness. The state of California require companies to label products that contain known carcinogens and you can imagine that the two beverage giants didn’t want to do that. Last year both companies stated they would remove the 4-MEI.
Apparently Coke has done a decent job of removing 4-MEI but Pepsi has done soonly in California. We know this because CEHtested Coke and Pepsi products across the country:
If you live in California, Coke and Pepsi products are made without 4-MEI, a chemical known to cause cancer. But in testing of cola products from ten states, CEH found high levels of 4-MEI in ALL Pepsi cola products, while 9 out of ten Coke products were found without 4-MEI problems.
CEH测试清楚地表明,可口可乐已经放弃了致癌的焦糖色素。另一方面,百事可乐现在表示,在2014年2月之前,他们的产品不会在全国范围内生产没有4-MEI的产品。Charles Margulis, the Center for Environmental Health’s Sustainable Food Program Director says:
“Pepsi has yet to explain why they are so behind on this or why it will take them another 8 months to do what Coke has already done. Pepsi needs to act more quickly to provide safer soda to America’s children and families.”
CEH has started apetition to Urge Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyito eliminate 4-MEI sooner rather than later.
Image Credit: Litter photo by Jennifer Kaplan, Creative Commons photo via Fillmore Photography
Dan Lozersays
Other than a sedentary life and crummy diet, I have no cancer risk factors. I drank regular Pepsi (and after the diabetes diagnosis, Diet Coke) like a fish. I do now have cancer. I am glad for the removal for sake of my grandkids.
Jennifer Kaplansays
Thanks for the comment, Dan. Be well.