Four soda products have been recalled by the FDA because they contain undeclared hazardous food dyes, including one that can cause cancer.
The drinks are produced by Charles Boggini Company and include their Pink Lemonade, Yellow Lemonade and Yellow Lemonade X, as well as a flavor product called Cola Flavoring Base.
The company does not sell canned beverages directly to customers, but supplies beverage concentrates and flavorings to other manufacturers and retailers in multiple states.
The pink and yellow lemonades were recalled because the company failed to disclose that they contained the food colorings Red 40 and Yellow 5, respectively.
The products were recalled in nine states: Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Nevada and California
The Cola flavor base contained undeclared sulphites, which are salts used as a preservative in wine and food products such as cured meats and dried fruit
Both chemicals contain benzidene, a carcinogen for humans and animals that is permitted in low, presumably safe amounts in dyes. However, companies must indicate whether products contain it.
According to the FDA, ingesting free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the “concern” threshold, or one cancer in a million people.
Charles Boggini Company voluntarily recalled the drinks at the end of March, but the health risk from 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 sulphites, which are salts used as a preservative in wine and food products such as cured meats and dried fruit.
Charles Boggini Company does not sell canned beverages directly to customers, but supplies beverage concentrates and flavorings to other manufacturers and retailers
Some people are sensitive to sulfites which can cause allergic skin reactions, breathing problems 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 resurface.
The recalls include 28 liters of pink lemonade, more than 2,700 liters of cola flavor base and 112 liters of yellow lemonade products.
The pink lemonade and cola flavor base was classified by the FDA as Class II health hazards, meaning they may cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health effects or where the likelihood of serious adverse health effects is remote.”
The yellow lemonade drinks were classified as a Class III health hazard, meaning the product is “not likely to cause adverse health effects,” the FDA said.
When determining the health risk of recalled products, the FDA considers issues such as whether the product has already caused illness and the risk of any future health effects.
Class I is the most severe form of recall, used when the product has a reasonable chance of causing “serious adverse health effects or death.”
Some studies have also linked Red 40 food coloring, also called E129, to allergies, migraines and mental disorders such as ADHD in children.
Yellow 5, on the other hand, is used in foods such as Twinkies and can lead to allergic and intolerance reactions in asthmatics or those with an aspirin intolerance.