Consumer Group Claims Cola Could Cause Cancer
(CBS) -- A consumer watchdog said Wednesday that new studies have revealed an ingredient in most colas and many other soft drinks can cause cancer.
But at least one major cola company disputed those findings.
CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez reports that the Center for Science in the Public Interest has claimed ingredients in caramel coloring have been found to cause cancer in lab animals.
CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson said, "unfortunately at least two of them cause cancer in laboratory animals and we have to assume that they cause cancer in humans as well."
The CSPI was calling on the FDA to ban the use of this type of caramel coloring.
"There's no reason to accept any chemical that causes cancer in our food supply," Jacobson said.
Rush University Medical Center dietician Kristin Gustashaw said she was worried about other ingredients in soft drinks.
"I would like them to be a little alarmed about drinking any sort of soda pop to begin with," she said. That's because colas are loaded with calories and have no nutrients.
But as for their cancer-causing potential, she pointed out that the animals in the CPSI study were given huge quantities of soft drinks -- the equivalent of roughly 58,000 bottles of cola a day for a human.
"There's potential risk. We should probably look into it," Gustashaw said. "But at the doses the rats were given, I don't think we should be ripping soda of the shelves."
The type of caramel coloring in question is found in other foods, like soy sauce. But since people drink a lot of soda, that's where much of the concern is focused.
Representatives of the Coca-Cola Company issued a statement Wednesday, stating "Our beverages are completely safe. Ensuring the safety of our products and maintaining the confidence of consumers are the most important priorities for The Coca-Cola Company."
"CSPI's statement irresponsibly insinuates that the caramel used in our beverages is unsafe and maliciously raises cancer concerns among consumers," the statement added. "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."
