Coca Cola To Change Formula in Costa Rica
•  Pepsi waiting on decision from US

The next time you take a sip of a Coca Cola in Costa Rica it may just taste a little different than what you are used to, for the Coca Cola FEMSA S.A - bottler and distributor of Coca Cola in the country - announced it will adjust the formula of their caramel colour.

Pepsi is expected to do the same, but the local bottler - Florida Bebidas (Florida Ice & Farm Co), the same folks you bring you the Imperial beer and Cristal water - has yet to announce the change.

In the United States the changes have already been made for drinks sold in California. The companies there said the alterations will be expanded nationally to streamline their manufacturing processes.

The additive being changed is a compound called 4-methylimidazole (4-MI or 4-MEI), which has been targeted by the consumer group, Center for Science in the Public Interest, which claims the chemical causes cancer.

In Costa Rica, Melissa Delgado, corporate affairs manager for Femsa, noted that the caramel colour has never been carcinogen and stressed that the variant does not affect colour or taste.

As to Pepsi, Florida Bebidas director of public relations, Gisela Sánchez, said they are waiting on New York to issue a decision if there will be a change in the formula in Costa Rica.