More reasons to drink soft drinks

[Guest guest]

drmikethompson(Dr. T's Health Tips)

 

Did you know that the FDA has acknowledged that benzene, a carcinogen,

has been found in U.S. soft drinks at four times the limit considered

safe for drinking water?

 

This contradicts earlier FDA statements that the levels of benzene were

insignificant. Organizations such as the Environmental Working Group

have accused the FDA of concealing information about benzene in soft

drinks.

 

Benzene has been linked to leukemia. It can form in soft drinks made

with vitamin C and sodium or potassium benzoate.

America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said last week an ongoing

investigation, also known as work by independent scientist James

Neal-Kababick, showed its tests for benzene in drinks over the last 15

years may be faulty.

 

Kababick has now announced his Flora Research Laboratories in California

have developed a new procedure that would minimise the formation of

benzene during testing by halving the time and temperature needed to

measure benzene levels in drinks.

 

Current FDA tests for benzene involved heating up the beverage, a

process likely to increase benzene formation in the drink during testing

and, therefore, risk unrealistic results.

 

Recent FDA testing has found some soft drinks containing benzene, a

known carcinogen, above the maximum level allowed in US drinking water.

The suspected source is two common ingredients - sodium benzoate and

ascorbic acid (vitamin C) - in the drinks.

The FDA and soft drinks industry have known for 15 that these two

ingredients could react to form benzene in drinks, as well as that

exposing such a drink to heat could significantly raise benzene levels.

Kababick said that, bearing this in mind, " it took me 10 minutes to

realise the problem with their [FDA] testing method " .

 

His new method has now been contracted by the US government's Office of

Dietary Supplements to help it examine benzene formation in liquid

supplements and vitamin drinks that also contain sodium benzoate.

 

It could also help soft drinks firms, and producers of other liquid

foods or supplements containing the two ingredients, to examine their

own products.

 

Kababick said: " A different sampling technique to remove benzene means

we can measure levels down to 500 parts per trillion, which makes it

more sensitive than the FDA method. It is important for producers to see

benzene formation before it hits the EU or FDA limits for water. "

 

The flaw identified in FDA testing for benzene does not, however, mean

the agency and soft drinks firms are out of the woods.

 

It was unclear why the FDA had apparently not altered its testing method

for benzene in the 15 years since it first made the link between benzene

and the sodium benzoate-ascorbic acid combination, in 1990.

 

" They have lots of labs all over the country and there could be a lot of

factors involved, but I'm not sure why the FDA did not address this

matter, " said Kababick.

And, he added, the new testing procedure should not be used to belittle

the issue of benzene forming in drinks containing sodium benzoate and

ascorbic acid.

Recent tests on drinks conducted by Kababick found a bottled lemon

concentrate drink with 50 parts per billion benzene, five times above

the World Health Organisation's limit for benzene in tap water.

 

" Actually I would grade that as fairly accurate, " said Kababick, despite

the result coming from what he termed a transition testing model. Other

tests done by Kababick's Flora labs revealed " fairly low " levels of

benzene in various different kinds of soft drinks.

 

But, he said, all the samples had been refrigerated prior to testing,

and the effect of heat on benzene formation should not be discounted.

 

Industry testing on soft drinks 15 years ago is thought to have found

that temperatures of 30°C and exposure to UV light for several hours

were enough to more than triple benzene residues in some drinks.

 

Both Kababick and a food scientist who worked on those industry tests

said it was essential for authorities and companies to test for benzene

in soft drinks exposed to a range of different storage and transport

conditions.

 

" Not all consumers are buying their beverages from refrigerators in

grocery stores. And sometimes when the drinks are brought home they are

left standing in the sun on a porch or in a hot car, " said Kababick.

 

Data reported by America's soft drinks industry association in the 1980s

showed that soft drinks could be exposed to between 32°C and 49°C in

US summer months.

 

Kababick said his new testing procedure merely aimed to provide greater

accuracy during tests on drinks from a range of different conditions. He

expected to publish a journal article on the procedure, together with

tests on drinks, within six months.

 

The stakes are high following recalls of drinks in the UK, and the

launch last week of the first lawsuits against soft drinks firms over

benzene in drinks.

 

Law firm McRoberts, Roberts & Rainer LLP joined forces with tobacco

litigation veteran Tim Howard to file class action lawsuits against In

Zone Brands, who make Bellywashers drinks, and Polar Beverages.

 

They alleged independent tests showed both companies had drinks

contaminated with benzene above the limit for drinking water in the US.

 

The FDA has repeatedly said that none of the benzene levels it had found

in drinks so far were considered a health risk for consumers.

 

The continuing presence of the issue 15 years after it was discovered,

however, suggests a communication breakdown. Soft drinks firms pledged

in 1990 to " get the word out and reformulate " .

 

The American Beverage Association said reformulation did take place, but

that some brands may not be aware of the potential for sodium benzoate

and ascorbic acid to form benzene.

 

" 15 years ago it was under control, but this is a fast-growing industry.

There are a lot of new companies, a lot of new brands and things have

changed, " association spokesperson Kevin Keane said.

robert this is just another piece of information I had to share with

you. I hope that you take this info to heart and choose nice, clean,

pure water the next time you think about a " soft drink " .

 

Until next time, drink lots of water!

 

Dr. Mike

www.BioTruth.com

 

The Doctor of the Future will give NO Medicine, but will interest his

patients in diet and nutrition, exercise and the care of the human

frame. He will teach them about the cause of ALL disease.

-Thomas Edison

**************************************

Health Solutions, P.O. Box 121271 Arlington, TX. 76012, USA