Drinking Soft Drinks: Is the Caramel Food Coloring in Them a Threat to Health?

Uh-oh. Just when you thought there were already too many reasons not to drink soft drinks, there's a new one. A non-profit group called The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) wants the caramel food coloring used to color soft drinks to be removed from the market due to cancer concerns. They believe the type of caramel coloring used in soft drinks causes cancer in animal studies and, possibly, humans too.

Drinking Soda and Caramel Food Coloring

There are four types of caramel food coloring. The type used in sodas and soft drinks is made by heating sugar with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure. Caramel food coloring isn't unique to the soft drink industry. It's also used to color products such as beer, soy sauce and whiskey, dessert mixes, gravies and other packaged products - but the caramel coloring in some of these products isn't made using ammonia and sulfites.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is petitioning the FDA to ban caramel food colorings made with ammonia and sulfites. This, despite cries from soft drink companies claiming there's no proof they cause cancer. There may be some truth to this.

When researchers gave the type of caramel food coloring used in soft drinks to rats and mice, it didn't increase their risk of cancer. But don't be too quick to pop the top on a cola. When sugars are reacted with ammonia, by-products are made that do increase the risk of tumors in animals. Plus, it's hard to feel good about sipping about drinking soft drinks made with ammonia.

Whether or not, caramel food coloring is a cancer issue or not, drinking soft drinks has so many other liabilities that the caramel coloring should be a secondary concern. Soft drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, which increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and raises lipid levels. They also contain phosphoric acid, which contributes to bone breakdown and tooth decay. Then there's the issue of bisphenol-A lining the inner surface of soft drink cans. When you drink soft drinks, you're also sipping this controversial industrial chemical that leaches into the liquid from the can.

Drinking Soft Drinks and Caramel Food Coloring: The Bottom Line?

Drinking soft drinks has no nutritional value, and there are too many potential risks to give them to your family. Give those BPA-lined soft drink cans a fast toss - into the nearest garbage can.

References:

Food Chem Toxicol. 1992 May;30(5):431-43.