Guest guest Posted April 4, 2006 Report Share Posted April 4, 2006 Ralph Nader's consumer group sends Texas a soft-drink warning http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12127641/ By W. Scott Bailey San Antonio Business Journal Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET April 2, 2006 An Oregon nonprofit organization co-founded by former presidential candidate Ralph Nader has called on state officials to cease the marketing and sales of soft-drink products in Texas public schools. The Portland-based consumer advocacy group, Commercial Alert, is especially concerned with a number of beverages it claims may contain unhealthy levels of benzene. According to Commercial Alert co-founder Gary Ruskin, scientists have recently found that certain soft drinks may contain amounts of the carcinogen benzene that are above the U.S. legal limit for drinking water. As such, he says the organization has joined with a number of public health advocates and medical professionals in calling on public school officials to address the issue. Ruskin claims the products in question include but are not limited to: Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry, Fanta Orange, Hawaiian Punch, Mug Root Beer, Pepsi Vanilla, Sierra Mist, Sunkist and Tropicana Lemonade. Commercial Alert officials say soft drink manufacturers are not adding benzene to their products directly. Rather, the compound is formed, they claim, by a reaction of ascorbic acid and sodium or potassium benzoate. The group has sent a letter to Texas Chief Deputy Commissioner of Education Shirley Neeley. That letter asks Neeley and local school officials to stop the sale and marketing of these soft drinks in public schools until they can be proven safe and free from benzene contamination. Benzene is classified as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Chronic exposure to benzene has been linked to illnesses such as leukemia, aplastic anemia and other blood diseases. " We expect school officials to take this seriously and to take action, " Commercial Alert co-founder Gary Ruskin tells the Business Journal. " It's a serious issue for Texas, " he said. " Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit. " - Aurobindo. Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1 & cent;/min. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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