new YORK (AP) – Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. are changing the way in which manufactured the dye caramel used in their soft drinks as a result of a law in California requiring that drinks containing some level of carcinogenic carry a warning label.
The companies claimed that the changes will be brought to all United States to revitalize its manufacturing processes. Already made changes for the sodas sold in California.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo represent almost 90% of the market for soft drinks, according to Beverage Digest, a specialized publication that follows this industry. A representative of Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. firm said that all their caramel colorings now meet the California standard.
The American Beverage Association (American Beverage Association), representing the greater part of the industry, said that its group companies will continue using dye candy in certain products, but that were already made adjustments to comply with the new pattern of California.
“Consumers will not notice a difference in our products and have no reason to have any concern for health, said the Association in a statement.
A representative of Coca-Cola, Diana Garza-Ciarlante, stated that the company instructed its suppliers of candy to modify their manufacturing processes in order to reduce the levels of the chemical metilimidazol, which can form during the cooking process. As a result, can be found as waste in many foods.
“Although we believe that there is no public health risk that would justify any change of this kind, certainly call upon our suppliers of candy this step so that our products are not subject to the requirement to carry a scientifically unfounded warning”, said Garza-Ciarlante in an email.
An advocate group for consumers, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (Center for Science in the public interest), presented in February, a request to the administration of food and medicines of United States (FDA for its acronym in English) which seeks to prohibit the use of sulphate of ammonia caramel coloring.
A spokesman for the FDA indicated that the request is being reviewed, but stated that a consumer would have to drink more than 1,000 cans of soda a day to reach the administered dose relationship with cancer in rodents has shown.
The American Beverage Association said that California added the colorant to its list of carcinogenic even though it did not provide studies showing that it causes cancer in humans. He stated that the incorporation was based on a single study in laboratory rats and mice.
