Coca-Cola Zero's Ingredients Under Scrutiny: Fact-Checking the Claims

Social media users have been claiming that Coca-Cola Zero contains several harmful substances and additives, including caramel color, caffeine, potassium, and sulphur compounds.

The claims were investigated by Fact Crescendo, which found that the ingredients in question are permitted for use by relevant food-safety authorities when used within established safety limits.

Caramel color, specifically Class III and Class IV, has been linked to the formation of 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), a substance allegedly linked to serious health risks. However, the FDA states that there are no immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.

The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans based on limited evidence for cancer in humans. However, regulatory agencies such as JECFA have concluded that there is no convincing evidence from experimental animal or human data that aspartame has adverse effects after ingestion.