Ban called for allegedly carcinogenic caramel component in sodas

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDFeb 16 2011

A consumer advocacy group has urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this Wednesday to ban some chemically enhanced caramel food colorings used in widely consumed cola drinks as they could cause cancer.

Usually pure caramel is made from melted sugar; but two other versions approved to color food products include the chemical ammonia and produce compounds shown to cause various cancers in studies of animals, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said in a statement.

CSPI asked the FDA to ban the ammonia-containing caramels, which are also used in other dark-colored soft drinks. The caramel coloring used in some sodas is manufactured via a chemical reaction between sugars, ammonia, and sulfates. These reactions produce the two carcinogens: 2-methylimidazole (2-MEI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), he says. These chemicals have been shown to cause cancer in mice and rats.

Coca-Cola Co in reply said the caramel it uses does not cause cancer. It said its cola only contains one of the compounds cited by CSPI, and that the compound, which is formed in the “browning reaction” while cooking is found in trace amounts in a variety of food and drinks. PepsiCo Inc. referred a call to the American Beverage Association and Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. was not available to comment. “CSPI’s statement irresponsibly insinuates that the caramel used in our beverages is unsafe and maliciously raises cancer concerns among consumers.  This does a disservice to the very public for which CSPI purports to serve. In fact, studies show that the caramel we use does not cause cancer.  Further, the caramel we use does not contain the 2-MEI alleged by CSPI,” they added.

CSPI said obesity is a greater health threat from soda but this chemical reaction between sugar and ammonia can form carcinogens and this may be “causing thousands of cancers in the U.S. population”. They cited animal studies conducted by government researchers at the National Institutes of Health’s National Toxicology Program. Several of the NIH scientists wrote in a letter to the FDA, “The American public should not be exposed to any cancer risk whatsoever as a result of consuming such chemicals, especially when they serve a non-essential, cosmetic purpose.” CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson said the use of the words “caramel coloring” on food labels was misleading and should not be allowed. CSPI suggested natural alternatives like beets or carrots. The FDA will now review the petition. “The FDA moves slowly and I suspect that they will try to persuade the industry to use natural coloring,” Jacobson says.

Jeff Stier, a senior fellow at the Washington-D.C. based National Center for Public Policy Research, said, “You cannot make firm conclusions about human health based on animal studies.” “Limiting sugary soda is a good idea,” he said. “Diet sodas are a great substitute for people watching their weight.” The American Beverage Association called CSPI’s claim a “scare tactic” and said there was no evidence that the compounds found in caramel coloring cause cancer in humans. They said, “4-MEI is not a threat to human health. There is no evidence that 4-MEI causes cancer in humans. No health regulatory agency around the globe, including the Food and Drug Administration, has said that 4-MEI is a human carcinogen… This petition is nothing more than another attempt to scare consumers by an advocacy group long-dedicated to attacking the food and beverage industry.” “Consumers can take confidence in the fact that people have been safely drinking colas for more than a century, as well as consuming the wide variety of foods and beverages containing 4-MEI, from baked goods and breads to wine and coffee,” they added.

Dr. Fred Guengerich, professor of biochemistry at Vanderbilt University, said, “Is it a carcinogen? The tests have shown in mice it can increase the risk of cancer. On the other hand, there is also evidence in male rats, it prevented several kinds of cancer…Basically my advice would be just to relax ... I did some simple math. ... If you look at the study in terms of what the mice got, in terms of causing any effect, a human being would have to drink more than 1,000 sodas a day.”

For now, the FDA said that along with the World Health Organization, it has been studying these chemicals and their potential effects on humans. The FDA says it will respond to CSPI’s petition in accordance with required timelines.