Caramel Coloring in Pancake Syrup Contains Carcinogen - East Idaho News

Caramel Coloring in Pancake Syrup Contains Carcinogen

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GETTY 4314 Syrup?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1396515727163Magone/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Your beloved pancake syrup may be killing you.

While that might be something of an exaggeration, Consumer Reports warns that the main ingredient used in the caramel coloring of your favorite flapjack topping may be the same potential carcinogen as found in soft drinks.

Dr. Urvashi Rangan with Consumer Reports says that 4-MEI was found in the five syrups tested: Hungry Jack Original, Aunt Jemima Original and Original Lite, Mrs. Butterworth’s Original and Log Cabin.

Since most people don’t eat pancakes every day, the cancer risk is negligible. However, as Rangan points out, if you do consume pancakes with syrup daily, the cancer risk does increase significantly.

Four-MEI has been known to cause cancer in mice and could be a human carcinogen.

If you’re trying to figure out which syrup might be less harmful, Rangan can’t help you since the sample size “was not big enough to be able to recommend one brand over another.”

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