Well, in California, one of its colorants is, 4-methylimidazole , although you would have to take about a thousand cans of soda a day for it to have some impact on the body, according to the United States Beverage Manufacturers Association itself. In fact, both brands have decided to slightly change the recipe for their cola soft drinks in this state to avoid having to include an information label on the possible risk of cancer related to this dye.
“Although we consider that there is no risk to the consumer that justifies the change, we have asked our suppliers of caramel coloring to reduce the levels of 4-methylimidazole to avoid having to include this warning without scientific basis” explained the spokeswoman for Coca- Cola Diana Garza-Ciarlante to The Guardian newspaper.
In fact, according to the regulatory body of the American administration, for a consumer to ingest the amount supplied in rodents and in which adverse effects have been seen, he would have to drink more than a thousand cans of soda a day. Something completely impossible. Even from the American Beverage Association (ABA for its acronym in English), they point out that California included this dye in the lists of carcinogens without studies certifying cases of cancer in humans, but based on studies in mice and rats in the laboratory.
From the National Association of Manufacturers of Non-alcoholic Refreshing Drinks, Anfabra, they point out that “in Europe, EFSA, the highest European Food Safety Authority, in the opinions it periodically issues, confirms the safety of this colorant. Thus, in March 2011, after an exhaustive review of the scientific literature confirmed its safety “.
In any case, and until it is proven otherwise with more scientific studies, soft drinks have no risk to the body. If someone were to have a thousand cans of soda in a day, the last thing they should worry about is the amount of 4-methylimidazole ingested.
