The Center for Science in the Public Interest called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of certain caramel coloring in foods and sodas including Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, pointing to research that showed the additive caused cancer in lab mice and rats.
美国公共利益科学中心日前称可口可乐和百事可乐所含的焦糖色素成分含有化学成分4―MEI，可能引发癌症风险，并请求美国食品药品监督管理局禁止这种色素的使用。

The FDA noted that the additive is on the list to be reviewed at the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer now under way in France.
食品药品监督管理局声明说，世界卫生组织发起的关于癌症的研究中，此添加剂也榜上有名。

The Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo referred all requests for comment to the American Beverage Association, which sent Consumer Ally a statement strongly challenging the Center for Science in the Public Interest's petition to the FDA to ban the additive 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI).
美国饮料协会则认为没有证据表明4―MEI引发癌症，并提交书面回应，声援可口可乐和百事可乐。

"4-MEI is not a threat to human health," the association said. "There is no evidence that 4-MEI causes cancer in humans. No health regulatory agency around the globe, including the Food and Drug Administration, has said that 4-MEI is a human carcinogen. This petition is nothing more than another attempt to scare consumers by an advocacy group long-dedicated to attacking the food and beverage industry."
美国饮料协会说：“4-MEI对人体健康并不造成威胁，没有任何直接证据表明它会诱发癌症，也从来没有任何官方机构正式提出要禁用这种添加剂。美国公共利益科学中心一直以来都用这种手段，通过引发消费者的恐惧心理来打压食品行业发展。”