AP: (Cancer-causing) Benzene Levels in Soft Drinks Above Limit

[DeepModem Mom]

Benzene Levels in Soft Drinks Above Limit
Apr 05
By LIBBY QUAID
AP Food and Farm Writer
WASHINGTON

Cancer-causing benzene has been found in soft drinks at levels above the limit considered safe for drinking water, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged Wednesday.

Even so, the FDA still believes there are no safety concerns about benzene in soft drinks, or sodas, said Laura Tarantino, the agency's director of food additive safety.

"We haven't changed our view that right now, there is not a safety concern, not a public health concern," she said. "But what we need to do is understand how benzene forms and to ensure the industry is doing everything to avoid those circumstances."

The admission contradicted statements last week, when officials said FDA found insignificant levels of benzene.

In fact, a different study found benzene at four times the tap water limit, on average, in 19 of 24 samples of diet soda....

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/04/05/D8GQ64P00.html

[derby378]

1. Move along, folks, nothing to see here...

Hoo boy.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. don't drink sodas w/ vitamin C added

the others are bad for you too, but for different reasons.

Another article I read listed the soft drinks with high benzene - all had v. C added.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. I'm not really concerned about this

Benzene poisoning in industrial cases of cancer is at copious levels of exposure. I seriously doubt that exposure is that great even if it is 4 times tap water.

[pacalo]

4. I'm thinking what this article is referring specifically to is

benzoic acid, which is used as a preservative in soft drinks. It's a derivative of the word "benzene", which, of course, sounds alarming. I think you have more to worry about when filling up your car with gasoline.

Here's what benzoic acid is:

E210 -- Benzoic acid

Whilst occuring naturally in many edible berries, fruits and vegetables it is available commercially by chemical synthesis.

It is used as an antibacterial and antifungal preservative in acid mediums. It is excreted from the body as hippuric acid between 9 and 15 hours of consumption.

Can be found in beer, coffee essence, dessert sauces, soft drinks, flavouring syrups, fruit juice, pulp and purée, jam, margarine, marinated herring and mackerel, pickles, salad cream and dressings and fruit yoghurt.

Best avoided by people with allergy reactions as it can cause a rash similar to nettle rash with large quantities also causing gastric irritation.When combined with E102, Tartrazine, provokes a very high hyperactive response in children.

It is one of the preservatives that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.

Association for freedom of choice and Free information

[KaptBunnyPants]

7. No, I don't think so.

The article is talking about benzene levels, an industrial solvent. Apparently there's a reaction that occurs in soda with vitamin C added to it with benzene as one of its products, particularly when exposed to light or heat. The OSHA limit of benzene is something obscenely small, like on the order or 300 ppm per year. Unless I miss your point and you mean benzoic acid could be degenerating into benzene, which could be true I guess in a reduction reacion.

[pacalo]

10. Benzene is used in pesticides, varnishes, & gasoline.

I'm baffled as to why the article used the word "benzene" instead of "benzoic acid". I'll have to ask my husband -- he's familiar with this subject.

[leftchick]

11. you are correct KBP!

welcome to DU!

More from the Environmental Working Group, who broke this story a while ago and the FDA has been trying to keep a lid on it....

<snip>

"This is an easy problem to fix," Wiles said. "FDA should do what British food safety officials did: Disclose the test results that taxpayers have paid for. Tell consumers which products contain high levels of benzene. Tell consumers the circumstances under which benzene is more likely to be formed - such as prolonged storage under warm conditions.

"People are still buying and drinking diet beverages in England. People are still consuming sodas and juices in the UK as they see fit. They just happen to know, because their government told them, which brands to avoid until those products no longer contain an unacceptable level of benzene, a known human carcinogen."

Benzene's toxicity is not in dispute. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Benzene is carcinogenic to humans and no safe level of exposure can be recommended." It is directly linked to leukemia and crosses the placenta to the fetus at levels greater than or equal to the amount in the mother's blood. The chemical is frequently detected in the food supply as a result of industrial pollution, making additional and avoidable exposures of even greater concern.

Wiles noted that several states have adopted tougher standards for benzene in tap water. Tap water with benzene above 5 ppb would be illegal and would not be allowed for consumption under federal law. In fact, bottled water with greater than 5 ppb benzene could not be sold. However, diet soda with as much or more benzene is perfectly legal. New Jersey allows just 1 ppb of benzene in tap water, and California has a drinking water standard that is 33 times more protective than the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) at 0.15 ppb.

http://www.ewg.org/issues/toxics/20060404/index.php

[newyawker99]

17. Hi KaptBunnyPants!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[NYC]

5. Must go well with the arsenic laden chicken.

Why do we have poison in so much of our food? (Answer = profits.)

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[longship]

6. No concern about benzene???

In the my college years in the sixties and seventies, benzene was kept under wraps in the lab for precisely the reason that it was so dangerous to handle.

I don't want the stuff anywhere near me.

[Frangible]

8. Lass es schwimmen in benzene

Oh wait, that's benzin.

In February, 2006, a former chemist at Cadbury Schweppes revealed that benzene may be created as part of a chemical reaction during production of soft drinks, particularly those having an orange flavor. Full scale investigations immediately started at the Food and Drug Administration (USA), Food Standards Agency (UK), and in Germany to reveal exactly which amounts of benzene, if any, were present, with several other organizations awaiting their findings. <2> <3> The key ingredients leading to the formation of benzene during production would according to his claims be ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium benzoate (E211). Of equal concern, the chemist told media the soda industry have known of this problem for 15 years, and supports himself with document copies explaining how benzene is a possible byproduct of these ingredients that exist in over a thousand soft drinks. More than extremely small trace amounts found after investigation would be of major concern, as benzene is a very aggressive carcinogen even in small amounts, and may among other things lead to leukemia.


Hmm, I guess I'll skip drinking orange soda.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

9. (non-diet soda #1 ingr) GMO Corn Syrup will get you if the Benzine doesn't

"it'll modify your immune system quite nicely-
...or if you'd prefer brain damage, choose our lovely
diet soda and joyfully absorb all sorts of wonderful things..."

The focus is now on Benzine?
Never did much about Aspartame--did they?
(gives you that wonderful Formaldehyde Poisoning)
Thank Donald Rumsfeld.

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/fm.html

http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-110.htm

Aspartame-the additive which Donald Rumsfeld was paid mega dollars to get approval by the FDA.-

http://www.rense.com/general67/rum.htm

( explains how "Don o'might" Rumsfeld called in his markers to get aspartame, a deadly chemical poison approved when the FDA said no)

Think I'm Joking?
***"Unsweetened" Health Problems Linked to Aspartame
Can Rumsfeld "Defend" Himself Against Aspartame Lawsuit?
http://www.mercola.com/2005/jan/12/rumsfeld_aspartame.htm

Death

Arthritis

Brain cancer

Memory loss

Hearing loss

Hypertension

Abdominal pain

Headache/Migraines

http://www.newswithviews.com/NWVexclusive/exclusive15.htm

[leftchick]

12. Here is a list of the beverages tested...

On February 24 and February 27, 2006, EWG purchased the following drinks at four major retail outlets in Washington, DC. They all contained ascorbic acid and either sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate—the ingredients that the FDA and the beverage industry have said can mix together to form benzene, a known human carcinogen. The actual levels of benzene formed in these products may be at trace levels and within legal limits for drinking water. EWG has no information indicating that benzene is actually present in any of these products at any level, however, we recommend that consumers avoid any amount of benzene in drinks intended for children (listed alphabetically):

Country Time Lemonade
Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
Diet Pepsi Twist
Diet Pepsi Vanilla
Diet RockStar Energy Drink
Fanta Orange
Fanta Pineapple
Fruit20 Plus 10 Natural Apple
Giant Fruity Punch Cooler
Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red
Hawaiian Punch Lemonade
Hi-C Blast, Orange Supernova
Kool-Aid Jammers Blue-Raspberry
Kool-Aid Jammers Cherry
Kool-Aid Jammers Grape
Kool-Aid Jammers Orange
Lo-Carb Monster Energy
Monster Energy
Pepsi Twist Lemon
RockStar Energy Drink
Sierra Mist
Sunkist
Sunny D
Sunny D Baja
Sunny D Intense Sport Cool Punch
Sunny D Orange-Fused Strawberry
Sunny D Smooth
Sunny D Smooth + Calcium
Tampico Citrus Punch
Tampico Grape Punch
Tampico Tropical Punch
Tropicana Twister Diet Soda (Diet Orange)
Tropicana Twister Soda Grape
Tropicana Twister Soda Orange
Tropicana Twister Soda Strawberry

http://www.ewg.org/issues/toxics/20060228/list.php

[DeepModem Mom]

15. Thanks, leftchick!

[RebelOne]

14. I never drink sodas, anyway, so doesn't worry me. n/t

[0007]

18. Maybe just maybe three or four a year if that much.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=102
Latest Breaking News

[Ramsey]

16. I'm so glad

That I haven't drunk soft drinks for 15 years! All they are is sugar and chmeicals.