The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it will take measures to change its production process in China in order to decrease the amount of a cancer-causing chemicals in the soda drink,
The company has been using caramel, which contains 4-methyl imidazole (4-MI), a carcinogen, to color the drink, said a Xinhua report.
But the amount of the carcinogen in the caramel varies worldwide. The amount of 4-MI in Coca-Cola bottled in China is 14 times higher than that in the United States.
While Coca-Cola said it change the Chinese process "soon," it did not give a timetable.
It added that using a 4-MI-free ingredient would quadruple the cost of the soft drink.
4-MI forms in foods such as caramel as a byproduct. The coloring is also widely used in soy sauce, vinegar, beer and other soft drinks.
The World Health Organization says products using caramel containing 4-MI should contain no more than 200 milligrams per kilogram.
(China.org.cn June 29, 2012)
