Food

Pepsi One is Loaded with a Known Carcinogen

The LA Times reports that Pepsi One is loaded with a chemical known as 4-methylimidazole:

California added the chemical to its Proposition 65 list of carcinogens in 2011. That required any food or beverage to carry a health warning label if it exposed consumers to more than 29 micrograms of 4-MeI a day.

A study released Thursday by Consumer Reports magazine says at least two soft drinks come close to breaking that rule: Pepsi One and Malta Goya.

Twelve ounce cans of Pepsi One, a low-calorie soda, contained as much as 43.5 micrograms of 4-MeI in California tests. Malta Goya, a nonalcoholic malt beverage, reached 352.5 micrograms in California.

Pepsi’s excuse? People only really drink two-thirds of a can, so it’s not so bad. I’m not making that up.

(h/t Attorney Seth Okin)