The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it will take measures to change its production process in China in order to decrease the amount of a cancer-causing chemicals in the soda drink, CRI reported.

The company has been using caramel, which contains 4-methyl imidazole (4-MI), a carcinogen, to color the drink, said a Xinhua report.

But the amount of the carcinogen in the caramel varies worldwide. The amount of 4-MI in Coca-Cola bottled in China is 14 times higher than that in the United States.

While Coca-Cola said it change the Chinese process "soon," it did not give a timetable.

It added that using a 4-MI-free ingredient would quadruple the cost of the soft drink.

4-MI forms in foods such as caramel as a byproduct. The coloring is also widely used in soy sauce, vinegar, beer and other soft drinks.

The World Health Organization says products using caramel containing 4-MI should contain no more than 200 milligrams per kilogram.

(China.org.cn June 29, 2012)

據中國國際廣播電臺報道，可口可樂公司宣布將會采取措施，改進在中國地區的生產工藝，以減少可樂飲料中的某種致癌物質。

新華社報道稱，可口可樂長期使用焦糖對可樂進行著色，而焦糖中含有一種致癌物——4-甲基咪唑（4-MI）。

焦糖使用量則在世界各國均不同，在中國區灌裝的可口可樂中4-MI含量是在美國本土生產可口可樂的14倍。

可口可樂稱會“盡快”改變在華的生產工藝，但并未就此給出時間表。

可口可樂還表示，如使用不含4-MI的成分將使可樂價格增加三倍。

食品中的4-MI成分是焦糖的副產品。類似著色劑還廣泛應用于醬油、醋、啤酒和其他軟飲料的生產中。

世界衛生組織表示，每千克食品中4-MI成分不得多于200毫克。