Pepsi ingredients: what's banned overseas?

About Pepsi

PepsiCo's flagship cola shares many of the same ingredient controversies as Coca-Cola. US Pepsi uses high-fructose corn syrup and Caramel Color Class IV containing 4-methylimidazole. The UK voluntarily removed sodium benzoate from Pepsi Max following FSA guidance. Various Pepsi products including Mountain Dew historically contained brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which was banned by the FDA in 2024.

Common concerns with Pepsi products

{"ingredient_slug":"caramel-color-iv","ingredient_name":"Caramel Color Class IV","found_in_product":"Pepsi Cola (US)","concern":"Contains 4-MEI (possible carcinogen, IARC Group 2B). California requires warning labels when 4-MEI exceeds 29 micrograms per daily serving."}; {"ingredient_slug":"high-fructose-corn-syrup","ingredient_name":"High-Fructose Corn Syrup","found_in_product":"Pepsi Cola (US)","concern":"Associated with obesity and metabolic disease. European Pepsi uses sugar."}; {"ingredient_slug":"bvo","ingredient_name":"Brominated Vegetable Oil","found_in_product":"Formerly in Mountain Dew (PepsiCo product)","concern":"FDA revoked BVO authorization July 2024. PepsiCo removed BVO from Mountain Dew voluntarily before the ban."}