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)

据中国国际广播电台报道，可口可乐公司宣布将会采取措施，改进在中国地区的生产工艺，以减少可乐饮料中的某种致癌物质。

新华社报道称，可口可乐长期使用焦糖对可乐进行着色，而焦糖中含有一种致癌物——4-甲基咪唑（4-MI）。

焦糖使用量则在世界各国均不同，在中国区灌装的可口可乐中4-MI含量是在美国本土生产可口可乐的14倍。

可口可乐称会“尽快”改变在华的生产工艺，但并未就此给出时间表。

可口可乐还表示，如使用不含4-MI的成分将使可乐价格增加三倍。

食品中的4-MI成分是焦糖的副产品。类似着色剂还广泛应用于酱油、醋、啤酒和其他软饮料的生产中。

世界卫生组织表示，每千克食品中4-MI成分不得多于200毫克。