Are You Consuming or Giving Your Children Benzine Laced Beverages?

[leftchick]

This is just so terrible. Check out how the FDA handles this compared to the UK...

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

FDA Data Undercut Public Safety Assurances by Top Agency Official
Tests Found High Benzene Contamination of Diet Soda -
79 Percent of Samples Above Drinking Water Limit

(WASHINGTON, April 4) - A computer investigation by Environmental Working Group (EWG) has uncovered results from a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) testing program that contradict blanket safety assurances about benzene contamination in soft drinks made by a top agency official on March 21, 2006. FDA's data show that 79 percent of diet soda samples tested over a six-year period from 1995 through 2001 were contaminated with benzene at levels above the federal limit for benzene in tap water.

<snip>

This past weekend, British authorities ordered four brands of sodas pulled from shelves because of benzene contamination. In contrast to the FDA's policy of withholding test results from the public, "The rushed out results yesterday of tests on 149 drinks including a range of fruit juice, iced tea, squash, fizzy and low-sugar drinks," according to an April 1, 2006 article in The Times of London.

"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."



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

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

[htuttle]

1. No, I only give them drinks with caffeine and alcohol nowdays

But, don't worry! My children are 24 and 26.

We never had soft drinks around the house even when they were kids though. We were big on fruit juice and water.

[leftchick]

3. I don't drink any of that stuff

I am strictly water and alcohol! My children never drink soda but all of my friends let their children drink it by the gallons. It is crazy!

[Atmashine]

2. Hawaiian Punch

and Hi-C. I lived off that as a kid.

I do notice that Mountain Dew is not on there. Mmmmm....Dew.

[seabeyond]

4. ha.... nothing on this list. dont believe in diet drinks for kids

mine arent fat and they dont get sodas often. never thought the sunny d's were real oj, so never bought those, though the kids tend to like the flavor of it, we do the real stuff. i dont serve any of these to my kids. but..... there have been times in raising them, i thought something was good for them to only find out later it was bad,..... pissed me off.

[TAPat]

5. We occasionally let our 6 year old

have a Sprite (with mostly ice) when we go out to eat - think I'll stop doing even that.
As for me, it's beer or nothing!

[Neil Lisst]

6. Whew! No Diet Coke on the list.

thank you Jebus!