A health group says that PepsiCo is still using an ingredient linked to cancer in mice more than a year after the US beverage company said it was reformulating the caramel colouring used in its flagship cola.
The Center for Environmental Health, a US watchdog group, said Pepsi purchased in 10 US states contained 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MEI, a chemical linked to cancerous lung tumours in the rodents.
PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverage company by sales, said in March 2012 they were asking suppliers to change how they manufactured the ingredient to reduce 4-MEI. That came after California said it was adding the chemical to a list of carcinogenic substances, which would force the companies to put a warning label on their products.