Coca-Cola to phase out use of sodium benzoate
It also plans to remove it from its other products at the earliest
Coca-Cola is phasing out the use of sodium benzoate, a controversial chemical that may damage DNA and lead to hyperactivity.
Also known as E211, this chemical is used in fizzy drinks as an additive.
The company said that by August 2008 it will withdraw the additive from Diet Coke. It also plans to remove it from its other products.
However, the firm maintained that until now it has not found a suitable alternative to replace the additive in some soft drinks that have higher juice content.
Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology research at Sheffield University, had found that the additive could switch off vital parts of DNA that could be linked to cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson's disease. Mr Piper asked the Food Standards Agency to fund research into the subject.
The agency in turn referred Mr Piper's findings to the Committee on Mutagenicity. The committee has dismissed the research. According to the committee, while sodium benzoate has been shown to be harmful to yeast cells, human cells are stronger.
On his part, Mr Piper stated that the committee lacked expertise in the area and that it did not take into account modern techniques of monitoring DNA damage.
On the other hand, a study by Southampton University maintained that sodium benzoate is one of the seven E-numbers found to worsen hyperactivity.
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