# Is caramel color dangerous?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caramel-color-dangerous/583712>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 29, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caramel-color-dangerous/583712 "2011-05-29T23:50:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caramel-color-dangerous/583712/1 "2011-05-29T23:50:17Z")

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> **[Chemicals for Caramel Coloring in Coca Cola, Pepsi Cause Cancer](https://news.softpedia.com/news/Chemicals-for-Caramel-Coloring-in-Coca-Cola-Pepsi-Cause-Cancer-184951.shtml)**
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> Chemicals used to give Coca Cola, Pepsi and other similarly-colored fizzy drinks their “caramel” coloring cause cancer, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says in a petition to the FDA, asking it to ban its use.

Apparently, 2 known carcinogens, 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, have been found in the so called “caramel color” used in soft drinks and a variety of other consumables.

Is this something to be worried about?

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caramel-color-dangerous/583712/2 "2011-05-30T00:12:18Z")

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In what quantities?

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**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caramel-color-dangerous/583712/3 "2011-05-30T00:16:41Z")

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You have to know the level of toxicity. Toxicologists classify everything on the average does that leaves half of their cohort dead. This is called the LDL 50. How much acute Tylenol poisoning to kill a person? It varies. How much to cause cancer? It varies. Also cancer is a term that describes several hundred conditions. I use products with caramel coloring on a daily basis. I do not have cancer of any kind. Nor do I every expect to get cancer from caramel coloring, nor know if that is the cause as I am exposed to other substances that supposedly cause cancer.

If you want to avoid cancer, don’t smoke or drink or hang out around the use of industrial chemicals, eat a balanced diet, get exercise and sleep. In short, what you would ordinarily do for good health. Risk from caramel coloring is probably so exceedingly low that it is around the risk of getting “left behind” during rapture. Regardless of all precautions, you will still die of something. No exceptions.

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caramel-color-dangerous/583712/4 "2011-05-30T00:27:26Z")

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so Crystal Pepsi wasn’t such a bad idea after all?