March 27/Brussels, Belgium/BusinessWorld -- The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reaffirmed the safety of Caramel Color IV (4 - MEI), a substance that can be produced when foods are cooked and is used for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, rubber and other chemicals.
Last January, significant worldwide media attention was generated when the state of California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), a specialized department within its Environmental Protection Agency responsible for evaluating health risks, listed 4-MEI among substances that can cause negative health effects.