Fake Alert! Coca Cola do not use Chitin or E120 as one of the ingredients which are carcinogenic.

Coca Cola has again fall under a controversy for the use of its ingredients. A social media post claimed that Coca Cola has been using Chitin as one of its ingredients which makes the product carcinogenic.

However, Fact Crescendo found the claim to be false. Coca Cola do not use Chitin as one of the ingredients and is safe to consume. 

What’s the claim? 

Sharing the video, a social media user wrote, “Insects now in popular beverages. Insects contain Chitin, which is carcinogenic for mammals. They are not meant for our consumption.”

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Fact Check-

First, we searched for the list of ingredients used in Coca-Cola. We found that all the ingredients used in the Coca-Cola products are mentioned in their website. For Coca-Cola, Carbonated water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Caffeine and natural flavors are used.

We also found that products like diet coke, diet coke no caffeine etc have additional ingredients like Aspartame, Acesulfame K used as sweeteners and Phosphoric acid and Citric acids. But there was no mention of chitin as an ingredient. 

Coca Cola uses Ammonium Sulphate (E150D) to give color to its products. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) studied the safety of E150D. After reviewing the data, they set a new guideline for how much of these colors people can safely consume each day. They also found that this caramel color is neither genotoxic, nor carcinogenic and also, they do not have adverse effects on human reproduction. The organization also suggested that the quantity of these colors should be kept as low as possible.

What is Chitin and where is it found? 

Chitin is a naturally occurring polymer made of long chains of a derivative of glucose and is a key structural component in the exoskeletons of insects, crabs, lobsters, the cell walls of fungi, and certain algae. 

Properties of Chitin: 

According to a study, Chitin is highly hydrophobic and is insoluble in water and most organic solvents. Chitosan a well-known derivative of Chitin is used in water engineering, paper industry, textile industry, food processing, agriculture, photography etc. A biological property of Chitosan is that it is safe and non-toxic.

As Chitin is insoluble in water, so it is unlikely that it will be added as an ingredient in Coca Cola. 

Apart from this, another substance was mentioned in the viral video called E120 along with an image of an insect. We want to clarify to our readers that E120 and Chitin are not same. E120 is the food additive code for cochineal, a natural red dye also known as carmine, which is derived from the dried bodies of female cochineal insects. It is commonly used in food, beverages, cosmetics, and textiles to provide a bright red or pink color.

Is E120 an approved substance by food safety organizations? 

E120, both Cochineal extract and Carmine has been approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration for use as color additive in foods. But FDA has instructed brands tofoods and their products with common name ‘Carmine’. 

According to FDA Code of Federal Regulations, Carmine and cochineal extract must be pasteurized or treated to eliminate Salmonella. During this process, only substances that are safe and necessary for the treatment can be added. In case other substance are being added and should not be considered food additives or, if they are, must comply with established safety regulations under the law. It further says that this color additives don’t need certification because they are safe for public health. Hence, the usual certification rules don’t apply to them under the law.

Is E120 or Carmine carcinogenic? 

According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the safety assessment of E120 (cochineal, carminic acid, and carmines) by JECFA and the SCF confirmed that it is safe for consumption at an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 2.5 mg/kg body weight per day. The toxicity studies of E120 in animals did not show any evidence carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, or harmful effects on reproduction or development. 

National Library of Medicine report says that since 2000, the acceptable daily intake for cochineal, carminic acid and carmine (E 120) has been limited to 5 mg/kg body weight. This compound gets absorbed into human tissues, but acute, short-term, sub chronic, carcinogenicity, reproduction and developmental toxicity studies conducted in rats or mice did not show any toxicological potential. But there remain some possibilities of allergic reactions. 

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be false. Coca Cola do not use Chitin or E120 as color additive in its product. Both Chitin and E120 has been approved by food safety organizations to be used in foods within a specified limit.