“Why is it clear? Why is my cranberry ginger ale clear?” That’s a question TikToker Willow (@willowrox) had after noticing a major discrepancy in her case of Canada Dry Cranberry ginger ale.
In a viral post that’s accrued over 754,000 views, she showed how some cans in her case contained clear soda. Other cans, however, contained tinted red liquid.
“You guys aren’t gonna believe this. From the same box, I’ve had two other ginger ales that were clear from that box,” she says.
She then holds up another can to the camera. “This is my third, fourth,” she says, emptying the contents of the can into a clear plastic cup. Unlike the previous one at the start of the video, this one is red in color.
TikTokers had differing opinions
Some viewers said that the reason why Willow’s ginger ale was clear was due to a lack of food dye. However, others countered this argument.
One viewer wrote, “The ppl saying it’s because there’s no red 40, but aren’t CRANBERRIES red-ish?”
Others said the real issue is the disparity between cans. One user offered up some speculative reasoning as to why this was the case. According to them, there must’ve been a mix-up in the supply chain.
“Possibly the clear ones were meant to go outside the US?” they speculated. “I lived in Australia for several years and the same brands from back home would look different bc of regulations on additives?”
There are indeed other countries that have rules where food companies aren’t allowed to include artificial dyes in their products. According to AARP, Austria, France, Norway, Finland, and the UK have all implemented these bans.
A common quirk?
Recently, another TikToker went viral after encountering a similar problem but with Minute Maid from Walmart.
In that video, as previously covered by the Daily Dot, user Jonny bought Peach Punch boxes. However, the newest ones were clear, whereas his normal ones were bright yellow. The clear ones were not expired, and did not have any differing qualities to identify other than its color.
Soda dyes linked to cancer
Not all sodas contain dyes. For instance, Zevia has several clear looking sodas, but also has colored offerings devoid of artificial hues.
A number of consumers have expressed their concerns over imbibing foods/beverages packed with food dyes. That’s because particular dyes have been purportedly tied to health risks. CNN reports that caramel coloring derived from 4-methylimidazole “may possibly cause cancer.” The media organization cited the World Health Organization’s findings on 4-Mel, which assessed the chemical content of beverages and drinking water.
Furthermore, PBS also published a piece on the potential dangers of consuming 4-Mel, as did the blog Hunter Lab. 4-Mel is predominantly used in cola based beverages to give drinks a golden brown appearance.
@willowrox #stitch with @Willow I opened it and saw some colour so I started taking a video😭#cranberrygingerale ♬ original sound – Willow
Canada Dry’s Cranberry Ginger Ale doesn’t contain 4-Mel, but it does pack Red 40 dye. According to PubMed, the chemical is associated with a variety of potential health complications.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Willow via TikTok comment and Canada Dry via email for further information.
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