Wahi a nā helu helu, ʻoi aku ma mua o 75% o nā Lūkini e inu i ka soda momona i kēlā me kēia manawa, a ke kokoke nei ka ʻai ʻana o nā mea inu kalapona i 28 liters no kēlā me kēia capita i kēlā me kēia makahiki. Inā hiki ʻoe i kekahi manawa i kekahi cola a me nā mea inu like, ʻo ia hoʻi ke hōʻike nei ʻoe iā ʻoe iho iā 4-methylimidazole (4-ME) - kahi carcinogen hiki ke hana ʻia i ka wā o ka hana ʻana i kekahi ʻano o ke kala caramel. A ʻo ka waihoʻoluʻu caramel kahi mea maʻa mau i ka Coca-Cola a me nā mea inu ʻeleʻele ʻeleʻele ʻē aʻe.
Ua kālailai nā kānaka noiʻi olakino lehulehu i nā hopena ma luna o nā kānaka o ka hopena e loaʻa ana i ka carcinogenic o kekahi ʻano o ka pena caramel. Hoʻopuka ʻia nā hopena noiʻi ma PLOS ʻekahi.
ʻIkepili hōʻuluʻulu manaʻo 4-ME i 11 mau mea inu ʻona ʻē aʻe i paʻi mua ʻia ma Consumer hoike i 2014. Ma muli o kēia ʻikepili, he hui ʻepekema hou i alakaʻi ʻia e kahi hui mai ʻO Johns Hopkins Center no ka mea, a Hiki ke noho wā e hiki mai (CLF) loiloi i ka hopena 4-ME mai ke kala caramel i loaʻa i loko o nā mea inu momona a hoʻohālikelike i nā pilikia o ka maʻi ʻaʻai e pili ana i ka hoʻohana mau ʻana o nā mea inu carbonated i United States.
Ua hoʻololi ʻia nā mea kūʻai aku o ia mau mea inu ʻona me ka makaʻu ʻole o ka maʻi ʻaʻai ma muli o ka mea hoʻohui i hoʻohui ʻia i kēia mau mea inu no nā kumu nani. A hiki ke pale ʻia kēia makaʻu ma ka ʻalo ʻana i kēlā soda. Wahi a nā mea kākau o ka hoʻopaʻa, hōʻike kēia hōʻike i kahi mea hoʻoweliweli i ke olakino lehulehu a hāpai i ka nīnau no ka hiki ke hoʻohana i ke kala caramel i nā mea inu ʻona.
I ka 2013 a i ka mua 2014 Consumer hoike ma ka launa pūʻana me CLF ua kālailai i ka manaʻo nui 4-ME 110 mau laʻana inu inu momona i kūʻai ʻia mai nā hale kūʻai liʻiliʻi ma Kaleponi a me New York. Hōʻike nā hopena i nā pae 4-ME hiki ke loli me ka hilinaʻi nui ʻia i ka inoa o ka mea inu, ʻoiai ma waena o ka ʻano soda, no ka laʻana, i waena o nā laʻana o Diet Coke.
ʻO kēia mau ʻike hou e hoʻokūpaʻa i ka manaʻoʻiʻo i ka poʻe e ʻai i ka nui o nā mea inu kalapona e hoʻonui pono ʻole i ka hopena o ka maʻi ʻaʻai.