The FDA has recalled three soda products for containing undeclared hazardous food dyes, including one that can cause cancer.
The drinks are produced by Charles Boggini Company and include Pink Lemonade, Yellow Lemonade and Yellow Lemonade X, as well as a flavoring product called Cola Flavoring Base.
The company does not sell canned beverages directly to customers, but instead supplies beverage concentrates and flavors to other manufacturers and retailers.
The pink and yellow lemonades were recalled because the company did not disclose that they contained food coloring Red 40 and Yellow 5 respectively.
Both chemicals contain benzidene, a human and animal carcinogen permitted at low, presumably safe, levels in dyes. However, companies must declare whether products contain it.
According to the FDA, ingesting free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the threshold of “concern,” or one cancer in a million people.
The cola flavoring base contained undeclared sulfites, which are salts used as preservatives in wine and food products such as cured meats and nuts.
Red 40, also known as Allura red, is found in several popular candies, sodas, and chips, including Doritos, Skittles, and Pepsi, as well as baked goods and cake mixes.
Charles Boggini Company voluntarily recalled the drinks in late March, but the health hazard of the drinks was not classified until June 3.
The products were recalled in nine states: Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Nevada and California.
The cola flavoring base contained undeclared sulfites, which are salts used as preservatives in wine and food products such as cured meats and nuts.
Charles Boggini Company does not sell canned beverages directly to customers, but rather supplies beverage concentrates and flavors to other manufacturers and retailers.
Some people have sensitivity to sulfites which can cause allergic skin reactions, respiratory and digestive problems such as stomach pain or diarrhea.
It appears that when sulfites combine with stomach acid during digestion, they release sulfur dioxide, an irritating gas that can then rise again.
The recalls included 28 gallons of pink lemonade, more than 2,700 gallons of cola flavoring base and 112 gallons of yellow lemonade products.
The pink lemonade and cola flavoring base was classified by the FDA as a Class II health hazard, meaning they may cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or when the likelihood of serious adverse health consequences is remote”.
Yellow lemonade drinks were classified as a Class III health hazard, meaning “the product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences,” according to the FDA.
When determining the health hazard of recalled products, the FDA considers issues such as whether the product had already caused an illness and the risk of any future health impacts.
Class I is the most serious form of recall and is used when the product has a reasonable chance of causing “serious adverse health consequences or death.”
Some studies have also linked food dye Red 40, also called E129, to allergies, migraines, and mental disorders such as ADHD in children.
Yellow 5, on the other hand, is used in foods like Twinkies and can cause allergic and intolerance reactions in asthmatics or people with an aspirin intolerance.
