Coca-Cola products in Viet Nam meet national and international food safety standards.— Photo organicfood

HA NOI (Biz Hub)— The Viet Nam Food Association (VFA) has announced that the levels of caramel colouring 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) found in Coca-Cola products in Viet Nam meet national and international food safety standards.

It was responding to information appearing in media reports since last November that Coca-Cola products in Taiwan contained excessive levels of the colouring agent – estimated at 93 times that found in the US.

The VFA said it had immediately launched an investigation of Coca-Cola products made in Viet Nam, using information from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the FDA, there is no immediate or short-term danger from 4-MEI at levels expected in food from the use of caramel coloring. However, the administration has also said it will continue to evaluate figures about the colouring agent's safety and its impact on human health. — VNS