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156 Comments
- inactive, on 06/11/2009, -7/+60Knowing how this "revolutionary" government works, I believe this all started with a chain email that started around the time when Zero started distributing in Venezuela. It said that it contained Cyclamate (sweetener) and that it caused cancer. The problem is that Zero's sweetener in Venezuela is Aspartame with acesulfame potassium, not Cyclamate, and I remember watching Aspartame as the alternative sweetener when regular sugar wasn't available for a long time here in Caracas some years ago, why didn't the government say anything then, when it was been sold by itself and not diluted in a beverage??-
Also, the government knew the ingredients long before the product was launched, it was approved by the Ministry (of Popular Power) of Health, why did they gave the permission to sell "poison"? And what happens with all of the other products that use Aspartame as an artificial sweetener?? Looks to me that they are just looking for a (any) way to screw with coca cola. - kspanks04, on 06/11/2009, -2/+37Who wants to start the first american coke zero cartel with me?
- DorXtar, on 06/11/2009, -30/+62Good for them. Down with artificial sweeteners. And corn syrup for that matter.
- Tarnum, on 06/11/2009, -2/+34It's not very clear how the liver breaks down the sweeteners.
- newsboys, on 06/11/2009, -6/+30Snopes did an article on it. No link between aspartame and cancer.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp - inactive, on 06/11/2009, -1/+21"If it has no coke in it how will it help our economy?" or something along those thoughts
- inactive, on 06/11/2009, -8/+28I would bet it has something to do with "Tasting just like coke" (their words, not mine) and not using sugar.
- chaos7, on 06/11/2009, -2/+21i don't care what anyone says, i avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible.
- sloonark, on 06/11/2009, -2/+19Let me get this straight. You have no ability to detect jokes?
- rhabdomancer, on 06/11/2009, -0/+16Don't do it!
Your health is in unspecified danger!!!11 - Sepeteus, on 06/11/2009, -1/+15Mmhh.. Aspartame... The sweet taste of headache.
- sanskrtam, on 06/11/2009, -2/+15Screw aspartame soft drinks. I'm having my yogurt shake with REAL sugar.
- teemingvoid, on 06/11/2009, -0/+12coke addict
- inactive, on 06/11/2009, -11/+23Cos they cause cancer in lab rats?
- greenlightison, on 06/11/2009, -2/+13down with aspartame, long live sugar
- SONYDVDR, on 06/11/2009, -2/+11"unspecified dangers to health."
I think ill crack one open right about now. - Junkyarddawg, on 06/11/2009, -14/+23Venezuela is getting more wacky by the day. A couple of decades more of Chavez and they'll be North Korea II.
- enigmabomb, on 06/11/2009, -5/+14Coke Zero is great. Especially off the fountain.
- jbmcb, on 06/11/2009, -2/+11@askantik
They list their sources at the bottom of the page. If you find equally well-respected sources discrediting Snopes findings, collate them and do your own meta-study. - kelmaster1, on 06/11/2009, -0/+8Aspartame is also carcinogenic, but at much higher concentrations. Cyclamate was banned in 1969 in the US, so I would highly doubt this was even the case (where did you get this info?)
Ok, and give Venezuela a break. For once, a Latin American country has been standing up against American companies, and all the ***** they impose on their workers (Cargill, Pfizer). What do you know, they're trying to create their own country without having their balls in a vise. They're trying to be an independent country without US control? no....
btw, the EPA and FDA are years behind European organizations. The EPA is just now recognizing endocrine disruptors and other toxins that were though in the past to be 'safe levels'. There is so much ***** in the American system that is neglected, overlooked, or hidden from public view. I always find it amusing when people use American standards (which is ok, for the most part) to compare, when the system is seriously flawed itself (ie, FDA 'neglect' certain factors that are considered 'negligible' - long term causes, or the EPA acceptable coliform count is 'acceptable' at 50ppm, while most of Europe is ~2ppm etc.). It's actually kind of insane some of the loopholes there are in the system... Take a look at the Netherlands policies and you'll be kind of disgusted with what the US has neglected. Just remember that before you start judging other countries decisions. /Envir. Eng. Rant - roddack, on 06/11/2009, -0/+8Do you even know why they use corn syrup?
Hint it has to do with tariffs and quotas - vulapine, on 06/11/2009, -1/+8AlexanderBlue-
Why is it called the "pink death" you ask? It's because of an early 1970s era study (yes, one study) where labratory rats developed a higher rate of bladder cancer when given high doses of sacchrine. However, further tests showed that this higher instance of bladder cancer only applies at high doses and only to rats (moreso in male rats). So, it's called the "pink death" by male rats who use sacchrine at high doses, or by humans who are ignorant of or simply ignore facts.
askantik-
Snopes may not be "scientific" (whatever you intend that to mean by putting the word in quotes), but they do research the subject extensively and cite sources. - kanojo1969, on 06/11/2009, -0/+7Here in Aus we never had Coke Lite. We had Diet Coke, easily the worst-tasting diet drink, then about 3 years ago we got Coke Zero, which tastes *completely* different from Diet Coke.
They still sell both side by side. - ryan850, on 06/11/2009, -2/+9In Venezuala, I believe the only sweetener in it is aspartame. This is primarily imported from China. Sugar however is grown in Venezuala. That could have something to do with it. or some idiot law maker believes the unproven rumors about aspartame and hasn't actually done any research about it. To hear alarmists talk about aspartame you'd think the whole population who drinks it should be dead by now. Even though there is no good evidence to back up such beliefs. I swear people just want to believe poisons are everywhere and everybody is out to give them a disease for fun and profit. What happened to asking for proof for ridiculous claims??
- KarateMedia, on 06/11/2009, -0/+6You completely contradict yourself here. You just said that sodium benzoate was a preservative, not a sweetener. You even say "I don't get why people are worried about how the sweeten the stuff."
So what does "put real sugar back in" have anything to do with your argument? I don't see why having "real sugar" in soft drinks would remove the need for preservatives. - asgardshill, on 06/11/2009, -6/+12I'm a bit surprised that Hugo hasn't just outright banned all American products from being sold in Venezuela and substituted them with products of Venezuelan manufacture. As much as he hated the previous American government, it seems only logical.
- jbmcb, on 06/11/2009, -0/+6Here's a rather thorough study of the safety of Aspartame. The conclusion in a nutshell - as long as you don't take too much of it (as in, a LOT) it's perfectly safe.
http://www.informapharmascience.com/doi/abs/10.108 ...
Do you have a study that proves otherwise? - welestgw, on 06/11/2009, -2/+8You don't eat the shaving cream after you shave?
- simon182, on 06/11/2009, -3/+9The flavour police finally caught up with them
- falafelkiosken, on 06/11/2009, -4/+10hooray for the all-controlling government, let's ban everything that might be remotely dangerous. take away all responsibility and control from the hands of the citizens
- inactive, on 06/11/2009, -1/+7Strange, usually Coke is like an embassy official, you never touch them. You'd find a "Enjoy Coca-Cola" sign in any Democratic country or 3rd world dictatorship *****.
- DorXtar, on 06/11/2009, -2/+7ADM + lobbyists = corn syrup in everything
Someone needs to get sued. People started getting fat in this country after corn syrup replaced sugar in everything. - ericcc, on 06/11/2009, -5/+10idiot
- vulapine, on 06/11/2009, -0/+5norman619-
Most sodas, not just artificially sweetened sodas, contain sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate (which has the same concerns).
Sodium benzoate is found naturally fruits like apples and cranberries and is also used in wine to stop fermentation. It's also added to many other foods to kill bacteria and yeasts (the reason it's added to wine).
The issue is not with sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate, wich are both safe and stable. The problem happenes when a reaction occurrs with Vitamin C (that's important) higher temperatures. This forms benzene. Benzene is NOT safe.
We should reduce our consumption of preservatives, indeed. However, your linking of health problems with sodium benzoate is off base. It's in many foods and drinks (not just artificially sweetened ones) and would need to be replaced with something else to kill bacteria. Also, the fact that the substance needs to react with Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an important consideration. It NATURALLY occurrs in cranberries (approaching the limit allowed in food), which also contain Vitamin C. Most sodas contain no vitamins at all or only trace amounts and do not use ascorbic acid as a secondary preservative. It's the reaction that's the issue not the substance itself that is the danger. Also of note: your drinking water likely contains pure benzene. - paradigmx, on 06/11/2009, -2/+7yup, and they usually have a double big mac to go with it...
- onetimeuse, on 06/11/2009, -4/+8Because they don't get digested the same way as sugar and the make up is different. Studies have shown it can cause obesity and insulin resistance which leads to diabetes.
@ Wogger. Increase in adult onset and childhood type II diabetes over the past decades or so does show correlation to and may be the data that does show HFCS to be detrimental.
In any case, it would at least be nice to have a choice, and then maybe a majority would prefer real sugar. But anything that is natural marketed versus "like natural", the natural would always win out, and then profits decline because sugar is more expensive =(. - Singularity2030, on 06/11/2009, -2/+6I like how people correlate data between 2 random things and call it evidence. Like diabetes cases increasing over the period of increasing artificial sweetener use. because NOTHING else could possibly cause it. I'm sure it has nothing to do with other conditions such as increased obesity and high fat diets, lack of exercise. None of that or other things we possibly dont understand yet could be causing it. Watch this: Artificial sweetener consumption has increased greatly over the past 10 years and homicide rates have dropped. By correlating the data, I find that artificial sweeteners make people more docile. See, I can make up stuff too.
- threenuns, on 06/11/2009, -9/+13Coke Zero tastes like sh1t anyway...
- VinDecatur, on 06/11/2009, -1/+5Aspertame is a deadly toxin.
- gordonf238, on 06/11/2009, -2/+6Can't say I blame them. Aspartame is the single most cited food additive which yields more complains from consumers to the FDA each year than any other food additive.
- cornstarch5, on 06/11/2009, -2/+6"Americans are so dumb"
I would take you seriously, but I guess I'm just too dumb to do it. Why do you have to trivialize the thoughts of an entire continent? We're not all clones. - TheUngod, on 06/11/2009, -0/+4Jones' Soda ftw!
- Carlix, on 06/11/2009, -0/+4The formula was changed in México few years ago because it included chemicals that would cause cancer.
- str1fe, on 06/11/2009, -0/+4Jones Soda FTW
- inactive, on 06/11/2009, -1/+5So Rumsfeld to not only pushed for Aspartame in the State, but in every developed nation as well. (Because I assume that he had to convince every version of the FDA around the world)
What a man! - bubba9999, on 06/11/2009, -3/+6I hope it doesn't interfere with reception from your tinfoil hat.
- nirvanix, on 06/11/2009, -2/+5There are many peer-reviewed scientific studies that show aspartame breaks down into formaldehyde or methyl alcohol (methanol) after consumption. Both of these are poisons. So why when the Venezuelan government does something rational should they get flamed for it? I wish my government would ban it.
- wolfing, on 06/11/2009, -2/+5dude, there are *much* better reasons to scratch Venezuela off your list of places to visit. Violent crime and kidnappings being the top choice. It's not a question of if it will happen to you, but when (and how many times)
- bury, on 06/11/2009, -0/+3Actually, the 20oz bottle of Coke Zero I have on my desk in the US says Aspartame.
- RandallMc, on 06/11/2009, -0/+3aspartame not splenda get it right.
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