Fake Viagra amongst 30 million Yuan haul seized in China

Shanghai police officers working together with those from three other provinces – Hubei, Zhejiang, and Hebei – have shut down the illicit operations of six criminal rings throughout China following the confiscation of 2,600kg worth of the erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra.

According to a press release, Shanghai police initiated an investigation after a number of brand name sexual enhancement drugs were found contained in a dubious looking express delivery parcel.
Police then forwarded a sample of the contents to the local food and drug administration for analysis, who confirmed that the drugs had not adhered to any manufacturing regulations.

The parcel was tracked to an adult store on Fengzhuang Road North, which apparently had previously closed down, but not without the owners leaving a phone number plastered on the door before vacating the building. After ringing the number provided, an officer was then greeted by a male from the ironware shop next door!

The male in question, surnamed ‘Dong’, then casually displayed his collection of other phony erectile dysfunction pills for the officer. Of course, Dong was subsequently arrested and several boxes of brand name counterfeit drugs were discovered inside the ironware store.

Seven people were then arrested and on June 24 in excess of 10,000 pills were seized in a warehouse raid in the Hubei Province. Files contained in the building showed that just between the months of January to April, more than 2,600 counterfeit drugs worth over 30 million Yuan (£3.23 million) had been transported to various distributors around China. Those arrested admitted their manufacturing costs for the fake drugs were just a dozen Yuan, and sold on for several hundred Yuan.

The news comes just a month after it was reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized a haul of over $41 million (£26.9 million) worth of substandard or counterfeit medication and shut down 1,677 websites selling such poorly produced and dangerous products.

The issue of counterfeit medicine looks to be one that will be around for the long-term whilst it is profitable for the criminals involved. However, organisations such as Pfizer  and Medical Specialists Pharmacy will persevere in the fight to beat the production and sale of counterfeit medicine.
Your health and well-being are not taken into account at any time by criminals these low-cost fake drugs often contain little or no of the active ingredient, or highly toxic ingredients such as arsenic, brick dust, floor wax and cartridge ink!

However, you can undergo an online consultation today with one of Medical Specialists’ GMC-registered Doctors and we supply genuine prescription and non-prescription medicines to treat a wide range of conditions such as: male impotence, male hair loss, female hair loss, acne, obesity, high cholesterol and many more. Once approved by the Doctor, they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacy team and subsequently dispensed and dispatched to you within a mere 24 hours! (Allow extra time for overseas deliveries).

The FDA clamp down on ‘generic Tamiflu'

As the UK’s bitterly cold winter season slowly comes to an end, the number of influenza cases will probably start to decrease and thus the need for the effective widely used medication Tamiflu will simultaneously lessen somewhat.

However, as the 2009 Swine flu pandemic proved, varying types of flu can strike at any time of the year – not just the winter months, and absolutely anybody is at risk of developing the potentially serious condition that is identifiable by symptoms including: a sudden onset of fever (more than 37.8°C), cough, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, muscle aches and often extreme fatigue.

Tamiflu has a dual use in that it can be taken to prevent contracting flu following exposure to an infected person such as a friend or family member, or if infected, it is a highly effective method of treatment as it works at stopping the influenza virus from spreading around the body and easing the symptoms.

Failure to treat flu before it advances into a more serious health problem may not be the only thing to now consider according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who this week released warnings to the general public about fake flu products that are now being marketed on the internet.

Said products are not just a waste of your money, but they can be incredibly harmful and consumers must be aware that Tamiflu is not manufactured in a generic version either in the U.S. or here in the UK.

The FDA have also fired warning letters to ten separate online supplement suppliers since January 24, demanding they cease the production and sale of medicines marketed as generic versions of the prescription flu treatment Tamiflu in addition to the use of misleading labelling of products being marketed as ‘flu remedies’.

In one of these strongly worded letters, the FDA warned that a drug distributor — ‘Supplementality LLC’ — were guilty of ‘improperly offering products intended to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat or cure the flu virus’.

Gary Coody, a pharmacist and the FDA’s national health fraud coordinator, warned: “Unapproved antiviral products could be contaminated or counterfeit. They could contain the wrong medications. In the past we’ve tested products purported to be Tamiflu and found acetaminophen alone or penicillin derivatives, and those could pose some serious problems. We want people to take effective preventive measures against the flu. Not only could they be getting something totally ineffective, they could have a false sense of protection.”

Coody says the fact that some companies offer supplements that claim to neutralise the flu or even serve as replacements for the flu shot is both outrageous and dangerous – as people who purchase them assume they are safe being exposed to flu virus when in reality they are not.

Genuine Tamiflu, manufactured by Roche, is available today from Medical Specialists Pharmacy from as little as £21.98 per pack following an online consultation with one of our GMC-registered doctors. We dramatically lowered the price of Tamiflu back in 2012 to help out all new and existing patients during this difficult recession.

New drug Tudorza Pressair is given FDA backing for the treatment of COPD

This week has seen yet another new drug been given a clearance by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following the recent seal of approval for two new weight loss medications, Qsymia and Belviq, as we reported last week.

On this occasion, the drug to be given an authorisation for public use is a twice-daily inhaled medication named ‘Tudorza Pressair’, which is used to help treat symptoms of bronchospasm. This is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aka ‘smoker’s cough’.

COPD is a term used for numerous conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and is similar in certain characteristics to asthma. Bronchitis and emphysema are commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed, thus making it difficult for air to get in or out of the lungs.  Obvious symptoms can include chronic cough, tightness in the chest, and excessive phlegm.

Asthma and COPD can exist in the same person. However, in contrast to asthma, the inflammation of the lungs with COPD is not triggered by allergies and does not respond well to anti-inflammatory medication. In 2005, there were over 3 million deaths worldwide linked to COPD, with the main cause being the damaging effects of cigarette smoking.

On Tuesday, Spain’s biggest pharmaceutical company Almirall, and US drugmaker Forest Laboratories, confirmed they had been given the coveted FDA green light for Tudorza Pressair. This followed a slight hiccup back in March when the FDA demanded that it wanted a three-month extended time period to analyse the review data supporting the New Drug Application for aclidinium bromide (the powder ingredient within Tudorza Pressair).

Despite entering into an already competitive market where highly popular effective medications such as Ventolin can alleviate COPD symptoms, analysts at Sanford Bernstein say that sales of the Forest/Almirall drug could hit $164 million by 2015.

A spokesperson at Forest commented saying, “As the first long-acting inhaled anticholinergic agent approved in over 8 years for COPD, Tudorza will be an important treatment option.”
Curtis Rosebraugh, MD, Office of Drug Evaluation II, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Rockville, Maryland, said, “COPD is a serious disease that gets worse over time. The availability of long-term maintenance drugs for COPD provides additional treatment options for the millions of people who suffer with this debilitating disease.”

However, the FDA have also warned that the drug may cause some serious side effects such as paradoxical bronchospasm, new or worsened urinary retention, or new or worsened pressure in the eyes (known as acute narrow-angle glaucoma). The FDA also says the medication is not fit to be used as a rescue therapy to help aid sudden breathing difficulties such as acute bronchospasm.

When Medical Specialists Pharmacy know more about this and other medications that are being approved by the FDA to help with asthma or COPD, we will update our patients immediately. In the meantime, Medical Specialists Pharmacy provides a huge range of medications to help asthma sufferers, all at great prices. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms.   After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. This is all done discretely and within just 24 hours. We offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe, and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

Bladder Cancer Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Drug

From nearly the moment it was invented, the type 2 diabetes drug Actos has been linked to bladder cancer. During the drug’s clinical trials, bladder tumors showed up in male lab rats. Once the drug was released to the public, the disease started showing up in Actos patients. Yet, despite these Actos complications, the drugs’ sales shot through the roof.

With the help of tiny font, glitzy advertising and the downfall of its main competition, Actos rose to stardom, and the bladder cancer risk went largely unnoticed for years. By the time researchers had definitive proof, Actos had a hold on the market and the drug was established as a household name.

Actos Moves In

It began in 1999 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Actos for sale. The active ingredient, pioglitazone, works by making the cells more receptive to insulin, a key component to type 2 diabetes control. While Takeda was trying to establish Actos as the go-to drug, another drug in the same family, GlaxoSmithKline’s type 2 diabetes drug, Avandia, was having its own problems.

At the time, Avandia was on the top of the type 2 diabetes drug food chain — that was, until it was linked to heart problems. Seeing their chance, Takeda executives pushed Actos as a safer alternative. The public bought into it.

Soon Actos owned the diabetes market. Doctors, convinced that Actos was a safer medication with few or no side effects, wrote millions of prescriptions – more than 100 million prescriptions globally by 2011.  Patients trusted it.

Actos-Bladder Cancer Link Revealed

While all this maneuvering was going on, Actos had a secret in plain sight. Written in tiny font on the drug’s label, Takeda revealed that the medication was shown to cause bladder tumors in male rats.  Even though the FDA knew of the risks, most of the public did not. The FDA ordered Takeda to launch a 10-year investigational study into the link at the same time the drug was made publically available. In 2007, Takeda said the initial results of the study showed that those taking the drug for longer than a year had 40 percent increased risk for bladder cancer.  About the same time, drug regulators in Germany and France revealed similar findings from their own Actos study. Some European countries banned or restricted the drug’s sales. The FDA’s response was to only added more wording to the drug’s label, underscoring the bladder cancer risk.

Actos Collapse?

Today, Actos has fallen out of favor with physicians and patients. Doctors don’t want to prescribe it, and patients don’t trust it. While the Takeda-run study won’t be completed until 2013, the latest independent study shows that Actos increases the bladder cancer risk up to 80 percent. At the same time, a whistleblower has accused Takeda of orchestrating the downfall of Avandia to promote Actos and skewing the FDA data to make the drug seem safer.
What’s left are the patients who are left diseased and worried after taking Actos? Many have started filing Actos lawsuits, against Takeda.

Disclaimer:-

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Second new weight loss drug is given an FDA seal of approval

Vivus, Inc. has been given to go ahead to sell a new weight loss medication named ‘Qsymia’ by the US regulators The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The approval from the FDA comes less than a month after delivering the same decision on another product for weight loss; Arena Pharmaceutical’s Belviq, which was given the go-ahead on June 27.

The dual approval by the FDA marks the first time a weight loss product has been certified fit for public use since 1999 when Roche were approved to sell ‘Xenical’. Some financial analysts now predict that Qsymia could generate an impressive $1.2 billion in sales by 2016.

The name Qsymia may be unfamiliar to most people as it was first manufactured under the name ‘Qnexa’, and declined by the FDA back in July of 2010 after they decided there were too many risks involved and that these were outweighing the benefits of the drug. Qsymia is an amalgamation of the appetite suppressant phentermine and the antiseizure drug topiramate.

The turnaround by the FDA on Qsymia may be partly due to Arena’s efforts to get their drug approved. In October 2010 the FDA declined Belviq and Arena set out to prove that the medication wasn’t as dangerous as the FDA believed it to be. Echocardiograms were carried out on almost 8,000 people to analyse heart-valve function. It was shown that there was no heart abnormalities present in the patient’s taking the medication and Arena have vowed to do six post-marketing studies which will include a long-term cardiovascular trial.

To demonstrate the safety of Qsymia, Vivus orchestrated two placebo-controlled trials spanning over a twelve month time period. The studies involved roughly 3,700 overweight and obese patients, some of whom had various health conditions that were linked to their weight. Subjects were instructed to make positive changes to their lifestyle and diet.

After the year had passed it was found that on average patients had experienced a weight loss of between 6.7% to 8.9%, depending on the dosage. It is expected that the recommended daily dose of Qsymia will 7.5 mg of phentermine and 46 mg of topiramate extended-release, with a higher dose of 15 mg phentermine and 92 mg of topiramate extended-release for certain patients.

However like all medications, some warnings will be issued in regards to who can and cannot take the drug. For starters, the FDA have made it clear that use of the medication will strictly be restricted to those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above, or those with a BMI of 27 or more who also have a health condition that is linked to their weight. This could include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

In addition, pregnant women will not be allowed to take the drug as there has been shown to be a huge risk to harm being caused to the foetus, such as a cleft lip forming or other problems. Patients with glaucoma or hyperthyroidism are also forbidden from taking the drug. As Qsymia can increase heart-rate, it is not advised for people to take it if they have heart disease or a stroke in the previous six months. The next stage for Vivus will be to perform further studies to thoroughly analyse what impact the drug has on cardiac health.

With the future releases of Belvic and Qsymia, these are clearly interesting times for the weight loss community. Furthermore, Californian biopharmaceutical company Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., are currently undergoing clinical trials of its product, Contrave, targeting a 2014 FDA approval date. Keep checking the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website for all the latest news and information about the release dates of all three medications.

FDA gives the green light for HIV preventive medication

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is one of the world’s most deadly infections. It starts by attacking the body’s immune system (our natural defence against infection and disease). If left untreated, HIV can then develop into AIDS, meaning the sufferer is at a very high risk of catching infections due to the weakened immune system and in particularly the risk of pneumonia or cancer is huge. The disease is primarily transmitted by unprotected sex, contaminated blood transfusions and hypodermic needles, or from an infected mother to baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

In 2010 it was estimated that 34 million people around the world have HIV. It is especially prominent in middle to low income countries, however even in the UK it is believed 86,500 people have HIV and in 2009 there were 6,630 new cases diagnosed. The disease is often described as a ‘pandemic’ and is one of a number of conditions that is a massive global issue for health authorities to try and tackle such as asthma, malaria, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

With all this in mind, a milestone may have been reached on Monday when U.S. health regulators the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave their approval to an existing medication to be used as a preventive measure, which could potentially drastically reduce the risk of contracting HIV. ‘Truvada’ as it is named, is a small blue tablet that is to be taken once daily. It has been manufactured by the Californian pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences since 2004 for those who already have the virus.


Indeed one study conducted back in 2010 showed that Truvada reduced the risk of HIV in healthy gay men by 42% when used with condoms and the men were given counselling as well. Also in a clinical study involving heterosexual couples in Africa, a 75% decrease in transmission rates was evident. For this study, one partner had HIV, whilst the other did not.

Before receiving a prescription for the medication, patients must undergo a HIV test to make sure they do not already have the disease. There are concerns that the virus could develop a resistance to the drug, which those who are currently infected already take together with another drug. One major stumbling block for the average person will obviously be the financial aspect of the medication. Gilead Sciences say that just one year’s supply will set you back a whopping $13,900. Although financial assistance is available for HIV-positive patients, those testing negative will have to shell out for the entire cost.

Despite the promising signs shown in the clinical trials, there are those who are against the FDA’s ruling, fearing it could pave the way for a reckless attitude when it comes to sexual health. Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles, told reporters in a conference call, “Today marks a catastrophe in the fight against HIV in America. If you look back five years from today, you will see this decision by the FDA will cause there to be more infections, not less.”

However, FDA officials have spoken out and counteracted Weinstein’s predictions. Dr Debra Birnkrant, FDA’s director of antiviral products, said, “What we found was that condom use increased over time and sexually transmitted infections either remained at baseline levels or decreased. So in essence, we don’t have any strong evidence that condoms were not used or there was a decrease in condom use.”

As highlighted by Dr Birnkrant’s statement, condom use in men is vital to absolutely minimising the risk of contracting HIV, or many sexually transmitted infections that are currently rife such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes and many more. Medical Specialists Pharmacy made the headlines on Gay UK News last year after we teamed with Mates Condoms to give away free condoms for one week to all men who obtained any erectile dysfunction medications such as Viagra. This was to promote World AIDS Day on 1 December, and you can read more about that within the ‘in the press’ section of our website. We also promoted World AIDS Day back in 2010 when we joined forces with Skins Condoms to give away condoms for one week.

If you do suspect you have chlamydia, Medical Specialists Pharmacy offer the Clamelle chlamydia test kit from just £24.85, which can be used in the privacy of your own home to avoid an embarrassing visit to your GP. Or, if you have been confirmed as having this or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system. We also have the medication Valtrex from as little as £3.50 per tablet, which works by slowing the spread of the herpes virus.

New drug ‘Zertane-ED’ on the horizon to treat both ED and PE in men

Erectile dysfunction is one of the most frustrating conditions for a male to suffer from and it is estimated that 4 in 10 men have impotence problems. The inability to achieve and sustain an erection can cause distress for both partners and result in a dramatic loss of self-esteem for the man especially. Viagra, Cialis and Levitra remain the three most effective medications for this condition and have spawned countless illegal copies such as ‘Kamagra’.

Premature ejaculation is a condition many men have long wondered how to prevent and many are still too embarrassed or afraid to seek help. Certain things to do during foreplay and even some breathing exercises may help to some degree, but effective treatments available to combat the problem remain as the prescription medication Priligy and the over the counter stud 100 spray. With all this in mind, some companies have long wondered how to conjure up something that can treat both conditions, so far without success.

In June we were the bearers of good news to the thousands of men across the country who unfortunately suffer with premature ejaculation. Dr Mike Wyllie, who was a member of the Viagra team who helped to develop the product, is currently formulating a new spray to help premature ejaculation and it will be called ‘Tempe’. However, the release date of this spray is still yet to be confirmed.

It has now emerged that yet another product for male premature ejaculation may be entering the market in the future. That is not all though – the drug also treats erectile dysfunction too according to its creators. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have given the go-ahead to Ampio Pharmaceuticals Inc to begin two clinical trials of the oral medical ‘Zertane-ED’.  The FDA have given their approval after acknowledging premature ejaculation as a disease condition with negative consequences for the sufferer such as emotional distress, frustration and sometimes the complete avoidance of sexual intimacy. This contradicts earlier reports where some suggested that the FDA did not see premature ejaculation as a treatable ailment.

Michael Macaluso, Ampio’s CEO, was clearly overjoyed with the FDAs ruling and said, “The clear clinical path for Zertane provided by the FDA, and the reasonable costs to complete these PE trials, allows Ampio to present potential distribution partners a portfolio of sexual dysfunction drugs that treat both PE and the PE/ED combination worldwide. Ampio was recently awarded multiple patents worldwide for combinations of Zertane with any PDE5 inhibitors and for reduction of side effects of Tramadol. These recently awarded patents will benefit from a full patent life and are important for negotiations with potential partners whose PDE5 inhibitors patent protection has expired or are about to expire, which could be greatly extended by Ampio’s patents.”

Ampio has now entered into a contract with the Indian-based contract research and manufacturing organisation ‘Syngene’, to manufacturer the drug. Macaluso spoke on the partnership, “As a first step for the clinical study of Zertane-ED, Ampio entered into an agreement with Syngene to begin manufacturing the combo product for the conduct of a phase III trial for these co-morbid conditions in South Korea by our partner Daewoong Co. Ltd. By previous contractual agreement Daewoong will finance and conduct the South Korean phase III trial according to US FDA standards/guidelines and the data generated will be used both for approval in South Korea and to support a US FDA submission. This agreement with Syngene will accelerate the initiation of the phase III trial in South Korea.”

The release of Ampio’s Zertane could be a long way off. The medication is only just entering the clinical trial stage, so it is a possibility the company may yet see some unforeseen adverse drugs of the drug and then have to further develop its active ingredients. The same applies for the premature ejaculation spray tempe, mentioned earlier.  If you are suffering from either erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation why not try one of the many proven treatments already available NOW.

Our doctors can prescribe Priligy for premature ejaculation, following a consultation. This is an oral tablet for suitable males suffering from premature ejaculation. These tablets are taken prior to the sexual activity. It acts quickly within 60 minutes and is only taken when you need it. In addition, we offer Stud 100 spray, obtainable from our chemist shop. Stud 100 delays ejaculation by reducing the sensitivity of the penis, significantly prolonging intercourse and providing greater satisfaction for both partners.

We have more information on male impotence here and the variety of options that are available to best suit your needs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. We are at the forefront of new treatments for impotence and will be one of the first online pharmacies to offer Viagra Chewable (aka Viagra Jet) to patients as soon as it hits these shores, so keep checking the website for updates!

New drug gets approval for overactive bladder

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug which may bring relief to patients who suffer from an overactive bladder, when other medications fail to treat the problem. Mirabegron is an extended-release tablet taken daily that improves the storage capacity of the bladder by relaxing the bladder muscle during filling. The approval is based on three trials involving 4116 patients. Results showed that Myrbetriq 25mg and 50mg effectively reduced the number of times a patient urinated and the number of times a patient had wetting accidents during a 24-hour period.

Myrbetriq is a once daily oral beta-3 adrenergic agonist developed by Astellas. It has been extensively studied in more than 10,000 individuals over 10 years. Myrbetriq uses a distinct mechanism of action and relaxes the detrusor smooth muscle during the storage phase of the urinary bladder fill-void cycle by activation of beta-3 adrenergic receptors which increases bladder capacity. The recommended starting dose for Myrbetriq is 25 mg once daily with or without food. Myrbetriq 25 mg is effective within eight weeks; based on individual efficacy and tolerability, the dose may be increased to 50 mg once daily.

Victoria Kusiak, deputy director of the Office of Drug Evaluation III in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said, “An estimated 33 million Americans suffer from overactive bladder, which is uncomfortable, disrupting and potentially serious. Today’s approval provides a new treatment option for patients with this debilitating condition.”

The most common side effects observed in the trials were increased blood pressure, common cold-like symptoms (nasopharyngitis), urinary tract infection, constipation, fatigue, elevated heart rate (tachycardia), and abdominal pain. According to FDA, Myrbetriq is not recommended for use in those with severe uncontrolled high blood pressure, end-stage kidney disease or severe liver impairment.

We will keep our readers posted as and when this product becomes available in the UK. If you are suffering from bladder weakness or worried because of urination problems, Medical Specialists offers Tena for men, a protector which you can wear discreetly and get on with your day to day life. We also have Flomax, which can be taken if you are suffering from annoying bladder (pee) problems. Visit our embarrassing conditions page for further information.

High levels of a potentially dangerous colouring agent found in UK Coca-Cola cans

Campaigners will today write to British health ministers demanding that companies cease the use of a chemical that is used in Coca-Cola, after it has been linked to causing cancer. The chemical 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) is what provides the drinks with their unique colour and was shown in tests to be connected to cancer within some animals.

In March both Coca-Cola and Pepsi claimed that they had requested suppliers of this colouring to change their manufacturing processes in an attempt to reduce the levels of the dangerous chemical inside the drinks. In the U.S., The Center for Science in the Public Interest have stated that samples of Coca-Cola tested in nine different countries revealed an ’alarming amount’ of the chemical.

In California, legislation was introduced earlier this year that forces any drinks consumer to have a clear health warning on the side of a drinks can that has a 4-MI total of more than 30mcg. After this ruling, Coca-Cola subsequently acted swiftly and now all cans sold in California at least currently have only 4mcg of the dangerous chemical. However some Coke samples from Washington D.C. were shown to have 145 micrograms.

Despite the health warnings that are now well-known regarding the chemical, it is somewhat inexplicable and irresponsible of Coca-Cola to carry on allowing high amounts of 4-MI inside cans worldwide. Cans sold in the UK have been found to contain a staggering 135mcg. This has angered Malcolm Clark, one of the co-ordinators of the campaign to ban the chemical and he spoke in a national newspaper saying, “Coca-Cola seems to be treating its UK customers with disdain. The company should respect the health of all its customers around the world by using caramel colouring that is free of known cancer-causing chemicals. The UK Government must regulate to protect public health from companies that aggressively market sugar-laden drinks that lead to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.”

Even worse, samples from Brazil contained 267 micrograms and samples from Kenya had 177 micrograms. The issue would appear to be cost related as manufacturers have stated that they are able to supply a caramel colour that is completely absent of 4-MI, however would be four times more pricey for them.

With sales of Coca-Cola roughly £1.1billion annually in the UK alone, clearly it is one of our most popular soft drinks. If you do enjoy the refreshing fizzy drink, it may not be time to start panicking just yet. An FDA spokesman declared earlier this year that people would have to consume “well over a thousand cans of soda a day to reach the doses administered in the studies that have shown links to cancer in rodents”. In addition, a spokesman from the British Soft Drinks Association has tried to dispel any public concern and said, “The 4-MI levels found in food and drink products pose no health or safety risks. Outside the state of California, no regulatory agency in the world considers the exposure of the public to 4-MI as present in caramels as an issue.”