Consumer sparks debate with astounding side-by-side images of popular beverages: 'It actually looks like orange juice'

We often don't think about the stuff we put into our bodies when eating or drinking our favorite snacks, but one Reddit post helped spark a conversation about what exactly goes into making the snacks we know and love — and just how healthy they really are.  

The post on the r/Damnthatsinteresting subreddit features a split photo showing a bottle of American Fanta next to a bottle of European Fanta. The American Fanta does not look much different than you might see in your local grocery store or a place like Walmart. 

On the other hand, the European version looks considerably less like soda. 

One user commented, "It actually looks like orange juice," which is not inaccurate visually nor chemically, as the official Coca-Cola brand website for Great Britain lists one of the ingredients as "orange juice from concentrate." 

Meanwhile, American Fanta contains various ingredients unrelated to oranges, such as high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, and the notable food dyes Yellow 6 and Red 40. 

The Cool Down team spoke to food experts on the dangers of food dyes shortly before the national ban of Red 3. 

Thomas Galligan, the principal scientist for food additives at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), said that that food dyes like Red 3, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and other synthetic food dyes are "added to our food exclusively to increase their visual appeal, to make them look a certain way so that consumers want to buy them," and that current FDA regulations have set "safe" levels of intake for children and consumers, but companies are not required to display how much food dye is in a product. 

Red 40 is a commonly used food dye in the U.S., often used in candy, gelatin desserts, and pastries. 

While there has been potential evidence of its carcinogenicity, the current consensus from an FDA review committee found that evidence was not "consistent" or "substantial" enough to ban Red 40 altogether, so it is presently considered safe for food production.  

European countries tend to have more strict regulations on food dye, requiring all food dyes used to be authorised by the government before they can be used. They also place a greater emphasis on natural flavoring.

When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you? The way it looks 😍 The information it provides 🧐 The waste it produces 🗑️ I don't think about packaging at all 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Natural flavors are flavor chemicals isolated from plants. There is a ton of orange flavor in the oil in the peels of oranges, for example, so the peels are cold-pressed to obtain orange oil, and then that is used to flavor citrus beverages," one user commented. 

While the FDA also regulates the use of natural flavoring and even requires petitions for those that violate specific requirements, the ambiguity can often make it difficult to assess what "natural" flavors are genuinely safe. 

Be sure to always check labels and avoid misinformation when researching the ingredients used in your favorite snacks or "orange" soda. 

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