When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
After a consumer group reported that sodas, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and Whole Foods 365 Cola, contain a colorant that causes cancer in animals, regulators announced that it’s not a health risk — unless you drink more than 1,000 cans of soda per day.
Stephanie Armour reports for Bloomberg:
High levels of a chemical that causes tumors in animals were found in Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo. Inc. sodas, according to a consumer advocacy group pressing U.S. regulators to ban a color additive.The chemical 4-methylimidazole was found in Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi and is part of caramel coloring used in the beverages, according to a study released [on March 5] by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February to ban the ammonia-sulfite coloring, which is found in most colas.
4-Methylimidazole (4-MI) is used in various processes, including manufacturing of dyes, pharmaceuticals, and rubber, as well as-as a byproduct of food fermentation.
David Colker explains the CSPI study in the Los Angeles Times:
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, however, said it found that regular Coke, purchased in the Washington, D.C., area, had about 145 micrograms of the stuff in a 12-ounce can, while Pepsi had about half that. California regulations require that a product have a warning if the level of the chemical is above 29-micrograms, the CSPI said.
CSPI estimates that the chemical in cola products is causing about 15,000 cancers in the U.S., Armour writes.
Doug Karas, an FDA spokesperson, told media outlets in a statement that a consumer would have to drink more than 1,000 cans of soda daily to match the doses administered in studies that showed links to cancer in rodents.
Anna Yukhananov reports for Reuters:
The FDA’s limit for 4-MI in caramel coloring is 250 parts per million (ppm). That caramel would then be diluted when it is put in soda. The highest levels of 4-MI found by CSPI were about 0.4 ppm, according to Reuters calculations.
Yukhananov also quoted a statement from the American Beverage Association which said “findings of regulatory agencies worldwide […] consider caramel coloring safe for use in foods and beverages” and that CSPI’s study amounted to “scare tactics.”
CPSI also noted to media outlets that high fructose corn syrup used in soda is still a bigger health threat than 4-MI.
Comments
Post a Comment