Benzene found in many soft drinks

[Guest guest]

" Soft drink manufacturers are not adding benzene to the drinks

directly. Rather, the compound is

formed by a reaction of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium or

potassium benzoate (which are used

as preservatives) -- especially in the presence of light or heat. Soft

drinks that contain ascorbic

acid and sodium or potassium benzoate include Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry,

Fanta Orange, Hawaiian Punch,

Mug Root Beer, Pepsi Vanilla, Sierra Mist, Sunkist and Tropicana

Lemonade, among others.

 

" The evidence of benzene contamination of soft drinks is coming from

many quarters, and it is

mounting. On February 15th, Beverage Daily reported that recent tests

had shown that some soft

drinks contain benzene at levels 'above the legal limit for water set

by the US and Europe.'

According to Beverage Daily, independent tests at a laboratory in New

York found benzene levels in a

couple of soft drinks contain two-and-a-half and five times the World

Health Organization limit for

drinking water, which is more permissive than is the U.S. standard.

 

" Then, on March 4th, the Times of London reported that just 100 of the

230 soft drinks tested for

benzene met the standard for British water, 'with some containing up

to eight times the legal limit.' "

 

Full article at:

http://www.commercialalert.org/news-releases.php?article_id=932 & subcategory_id= & \

category= & year=2006 & month=03 & day=23

 

List of problem soft drinks at:

http://www.commercialalert.org/softdrinklist.pdf

[Guest guest]

Benzene found in many soft drinks "Soft drink manufacturers are not adding benzene to the drinksdirectly. Rather, the compound is formed by a reaction of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sodium orpotassium benzoate (which are used as preservatives) -- especially in the presence of light or heat. Softdrinks that contain ascorbic acid and sodium or potassium benzoate include Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry,Fanta Orange, Hawaiian Punch, Mug Root Beer, Pepsi Vanilla, Sierra Mist, Sunkist and TropicanaLemonade, among others. "The evidence of benzene contamination of soft drinks is coming frommany quarters, and it is mounting. On February 15th, Beverage Daily reported that recent testshad shown that some soft drinks contain benzene at levels 'above the legal limit for water setby the US and Europe.' According to Beverage Daily, independent tests at a laboratory in NewYork found benzene levels in a couple of soft drinks contain two-and-a-half and five times the WorldHealth Organization limit for drinking water, which is more permissive than is the U.S. standard. "Then, on March 4th, the Times of London reported that just 100 of the230 soft drinks tested for benzene met the standard for British water, 'with some containing upto eight times the legal limit.'" Full article at: http://www.commercialalert.org/news-releases.php?article_id=“2 & subcategory_id== & category== & year=06 & month= & day=# List of problem soft drinks at: http://www.commercialalert.org/softdrinklist.pdf