Pepsi Co. Follows Coca-Cola in Changing Recipe to Avoid Cancer Warning

Following beverage giant Coca-Cola in an emergency effort to avoid a cancer warning label over the presence of a caramel color ingredient known as 4-methylimidazole (4-MI or 4-MEI), Pepsi Co. is now removing the carcinogenic substance from their ingredient list. The move comes after the ingredient was revealed to be linked to cancer developments by the Center for Sciences in the Public Interest in a groundbreaking announcement. California has enacted legislation in light of the information to administer cancer warning labels on products containing the cancer-causing ingredient in order to protect the consumer.

Both the companies are not very happy about the change. Not because it means that consumers have been upping their cancer risk for years by sipping their toxic products, but due to the ‘national impact’ the change will have on their manufacturing development. In fact, the Coca-Cola company even denied the cancer link despite the scientific organization CSPI presenting scientific evidence demonstrating the direct link. This does not appear to concern the Coca-Cola company, who continues to assert that the move is completely unnecessary.

Calling the warning label ‘scientifically unfounded’, Coca-Cola says that there is no public health risk that justifies any change.

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi products are still highly toxic to health, containing high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and high amounts of sugar. One such organization, The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, is particularly concerned over the presence of high-fructose corn syrup as it has been found to contain mercury. Toxic in all forms, mercury exposure through the consumption of processed foods could be contributing to a wide array of health issues. Aspartame is also extremely dangerous, presenting a significant tumor risk. In a study in which rats were given the sugar substitute, 67 percent of all female rats developed tumors roughly the size of golf balls or larger.

While the risks associated with Coca-Cola and Pepsi products persist, the move shows that the awareness over the dangers of toxic substances like 4-methylimidazole is growing, and real change can come as a result. Now it is time to remove aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup from the industry.