The UK's loosing juice

[Guest guest]

" WC Douglass " <realhealth

Daily Dose - The UK's loosing juice

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 07:15:00 -0400

 

 

 

Sunny D-plight

 

Back in April (Daily Dose, 4/18 and 4/21) I reported about the

dangerous levels of toxic benzene found recently in several types of

diet sodas. Levels were high enough in some cases to be deemed unsafe

for human consumption - resulting in large quantities of product being

pulled from store shelves.

 

But apparently, even this petro-chemical can't hold a candle to the

awesome toxicity of...

 

Sunny D (formerly known as Sunny Delight).

 

According to a recent UK Daily Mail article and other sources, a

large-scale spill of the ingredients in this drink (advertised for its

healthiness, although it's really nothing more than sugar-water

fortified with a little orange juice) has threatened to wipe out an

entire river system in rural England.

 

Around 4,000 gallons of the raw juice leaked out of a split in an

underground fiberglass storage tank at a manufacturing facility and

into a small stream in Somerset. Six tons worth of acidic (but

natural) additives to this " health " drink caused a massive fish-kill

in the creek and triggered a " Category 1 " environmental emergency -

the highest level categorized by the UK's equivalent to the

Environmental Protection Agency.

 

The incident spurred a massive cleanup effort to try to keep the juice

from reaching the River Parrett, the main river system that the

contaminated creek flows into. According to the article, this effort

met with success. This, at least, is good news.

 

I saw photos of this spill, and it was incredible to behold. It looked

like a river of pure orange juice. According to spokespersons from the

Gerber Foods Company (the makers of Sunny D), the spill was from

" substandard " juice scheduled to be disposed of - the right way, I'm

sure...

 

Just goes to show you - too much of a " good " thing can kill. Fish, and

people too.

 

As for the sugar-water, liquid candy Sunny D, a major UK supermarket

chain has pulled it from the shelves - not because of toxic

ingredients, but because of lackluster sales. Apparently, the drink is

hanging by a thread here in the U.S., too. Just as well. It's no

better for kids than full-sugar Coke or Pepsi.

 

And in some other " screwed " up news from the UK...

 

 

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.