Management of the Benson Idahosa University (BIU), in Edo State has said that a private research carried out on Fanta and Sprite showed that the Federal government was wrong on the green light given to Nigerians to consume the beverages.
The University said information or data provided by the Federal government on the beverages fell short of addressing the safety concerns raised by the court.
Speaking to reporters at the weekend, Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Ernest Izevbigie, said the institution owe the society the responsibilities to provide expert opinion on the matter.
Prof Izevbigie, who is a professor of Biochemistry, said answers provided to questions such as the presence and amount of colourant in Fanta and the concentration of benzoic acid or sodium benzoate in the two beverages and the presence and concentration of benzene were not satisfactory.
He stated that colourant used in Fanta, the yellow sunset, had been implicated in cytotoxicity, carcinogenesis, allergies and hyper activity in children when the right amount is not used.
Prof. Izevbigie said the Federal Ministry of Health has some explanation to give on the standard given for the use of 250mg/kg benzoic acid in soft drinks as opposed to 150mg/kg that was obtainable in the United Kingdom and Ghana.
Izevbigie said pasteurisation and the use of carbon dioxide could achieve the same goal as the use of high benzoic acid without the added health risks.
He equally remarked that the Fanta produced in Nigeria already contained benzene due to the presence of benzoic acid and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), pointing out that the product already contains Vitamin C and that the warning that it should not be taken with Vitamin C was confounding.
According to him, “reduction of the sodium benzoate concentration to below 150mg/kg, a removal of Vitamin C as an ingredient in Fanta due to concern for benzene toxicity and the use of natural dye as a replacement for the colourant in Fanta.”
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