6/10-Benzene in drinks killing you softly (Sydney Morning Herald)

maurice_clayton@hotmail.c · medicine forum beginner Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 18

Benzene in drinks killing you softly

Kirsty Needham
June 10, 2006

BENZENE, a poison more often found in tobacco smoke and air pollution,
has been discovered in half the soft drinks tested on the shop shelves.

In some cases, the benzene level was 40 times the level recommended for
safe drinking water by the National Health and Medical Research
Council.

The national food regulator, Food Standards, said 10 per cent of
flavoured beverages had benzene traces at "undesirable levels" that
exceeded World Health Organisation guidelines.

The regulator's sampling found that fruit juices and fruit-flavoured
soft drinks with added vitamin C were likely to contain more benzene.
Sodium benzolate (additive 211) is used as a preservative. When it is
combined with Vitamin C, the likelihood of benzene being created
increases.

Food Standards has asked the soft-drink industry to reformulate its
products and take steps to lower benzene levels. The chief executive of
the Australian Beverages Council, Tony Gentile, said the council had
"advised manufacturers of how to minimise the incidence of benzene".

The NHMRC website states that benzene causes leukaemia, and as such
"there is no safe or acceptable concentration for it in drinking
water".

Food Standards did not name the soft drinks, but Mr Gentile said most
manufacturers were affected.

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