Chemical found in cola causes cancer, watchdog warns: What does FDA say?

Can drinking soda cause cancer? A report yesterday from the U.S. consumer watchdog The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said popular sodas contain high levels of a chemical that's used to give cola its caramel coloring - and that chemical could raise a soda-drinkers' cancer risk.

Today U.S. regulators downplayed the report, telling the public that they can continue to drink soda without fearing this ingredient. According to Reuters, the regulators claim that contrary to the public-interest group report, the Ingredient found in cola products from PepsiCo Inc., Coca-Cola Co. and other companies pose no cancerous health risks.

In yesterday's report, the consumer watchdog found Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc's Dr. Pepper and Whole Foods' 365 Cola contained unsafe levels of the coloring Ingredient, 4-methylimidazole or 4-MI. The group estimates the amount of 4-MI in the Coke and Pepsi products tested is causing about 15,000 cancers among the U.S. population.

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