DYING FOR PROFITS –
June 5, 2024 – The drinks include Pink Lemonade, Yellow Lemonade and Yellow Lemonade X, as well as a flavoring product called Cola Flavoring Base.
The company does not sell canned drinks directly to customers. The lemonades were recalled because the company did not disclose they contained food dyes Red 40 and Yellow 5. Both of the chemicals contains benzidine, a human and animal carcinogen permitted in low, presumably safe levels in dyes. However, companies must declare if products contain it.
According to the FDA, ingestion of free benzidine raises the cancer risk to just under the ‘concern’ threshold, or one cancer in one million people.
The Charles Boggini Company voluntarily recalled the drinks at the end of March, but the health hazard of the drinks was not classified until June 3.
The products were recalled across nine states: Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Nevada and California.
The Cola Flavoring Base contained undeclared sulfites, which are salts used as preservatives in wine and food products such as cured meats and dried fruits.
