March 1st, 2006

"Benzene Found in Children’s Drinks"

Recent reports indicate the presence of two ingredients found in popular children''s drinks that mix together to form the cancer-causing chemical benzene. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) sent a request to the Food and Drug Administration yesterday asking that this information be made public.

“Benzene is a potent carcinogen that has no place in foods and drinks targeted to children,” Wiles said. “We urge the FDA to immediately issue a statement telling consumers which ingredients in foods and drinks can combine to form benzene.”

The problem was last addressed in 1990 when the FDA first learned of benzene contamination in certain soft drinks. However, the public was never notified and the FDA asked soft drink manufacturers to voluntarily reformulate their products.

Since then, over 1,500 new soft drinks have been introduced around the world and their manufacturers remain in the dark about the potential dangers of their ingredients.

“Once again, the FDA has sided with the industry and against the public, in this case by concealing simple information that would allow people to easily avoid benzene in the drinks they give their children, “ said Richard Wiles, senior vice president of EWG. “Once people have this information, we are convinced that food and drink manufacturers will simply reformulate their products, as many already have done, and as the FDA originally intended in 1990.”

Benzene contamination in certain children''s drinks come from a chemical reaction between sodium benzoate, a preservative used in foods and drinks, with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which extends shelf life of products. Ascorbic acid reacts with metals found in water and produces hydroxyl radicals while sodium benzoate breaks down into benzoic acid when exposed to an acidic environment, like that found in soft drinks. The hydroxyl radicals react with the benzoic acid, which removes carbon dioxide and what is left is benzene.

Benzene is a toxic chemical manufactured in a variety of industries in the United States and has been associated with the increased risk of leukemia and other cancers.

Consuming high levels of benzene in food or drink products may cause serious side effects including stomach pain, vomiting, dizziness, accelerated heart rate, and even death. Long-term exposure to benzene is linked to anemia, infection, and cancer.

For more information about benzene in children''s drinks, please contact us.