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From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: net.misc.coke
Subject: Re: More ingredients questions. 
Message-ID: <311@kitty.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 11-Aug-85 14:11:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: kitty.311
Posted: Sun Aug 11 14:11:36 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 13-Aug-85 03:28:26 EDT
References: <2958@sdcc3.UUCP>
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Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 55

> After reading all this discussion about whether Coke has sugar or
> corn syrup in it, and who bottles/makes Dr. Pepper; I chanced to
> look at my can of D. P. today.  To my surprise I saw Polyethylene
> Glycol as the last ingredient!  I know that ethylene glycol is that
> sweet-tasting poisonous stuff that goes into anti-freeze.  I also
> seem to remember a recent report about a recall of some Austrian
> or German wine, because it had ethylene glycol in it to make it
> sweeter.  I'm no chemist, but shouldn't polyethylene glycol be
> somewhat similar in properties as ethylene glycol (ie. isn't it
> toxic)?  Doesn't polyethylene just mean many-ethylene?

	That's a good question, and I am certain that the true answer is buried
in Dr. Pepper's proprietary information.  However, I will take a stab at it...
	Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is not one compound, but is the name for a
*group* of compounds which are condensation polymers of ethylene glycol.  PEG
is as different from the ethylene glycol monomer as polyethylene plastic is
different from its ethylene monomer.  While ethylene glycol is considered a
toxic compound, the various PEG's are relatively non-toxic. PEG is FDA-approved
and is both NF and USP registered for use in pharmaceuticals for internal use.
	PEG is differentiated by molecular weight, running from less than 400
to more than 6,000.  PEG with a mw of 400 is viscous clear liquid with only a
slight odor and taste.  PEG with a mw of 6,000 is a white power which melts at
around 60 deg C.
	PEG (in its various forms) is used as a lubricant, binder, solvent,
stabilizer (as a humectant, primarily), etc.  It's most common use in pharma-
ceutical preparations is as a base for suppositories.  :-)  [This is true!]
In fact, in our lab we use PEG under the tradename of Carbowax as a column
packing for gas chromatographs. I chewed a little before posting this response
and it tasted like a candle...

	Now why would PEG be in Dr. Pepper?

1.	Not for taste purposes, nor to increase viscosity.

2.	Not to lower the freezing point of the canned mixture, nor to stabilize
	the water content.

3.	Not to make the stuff easier to swallow. :-)

4.	Probably as a binder for the various flavoring and coloring ingedients
	so as to prevent their separation after initial formulation.

5.	Less probably (but not absurd) to confuse any analytical instruments
	(gc, lc, ir, and uv) which might be used by competitors to ascertain
	the product formula.

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