Benzene Found in Soft Drinks

Everybody knows that soft drinks aren’t exactly good for you. The sugar rush and caffeine highs typical of soft drinks generate spikes—and subsequent drops—in energy levels. Sodas are also linked to problems with bone development and maintenance, not to mention the negative effects regular sodas can have on our dental health. Of course, there are always diet sodas, but then we have suspicious, artificial sweeteners flavoring our products.

Now, it seems, there is yet another reason to bypass these sweet, sparkling beverages—diet and otherwise—in search of healthier alternatives.

Many soft drinks use sodium benzoate as an ingredient. It is a preservative found in a variety of processed foods. Oddly enough, it’s also found in antifreeze, because of its anti-corrosive properties. When sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin c), the result is benzene, and benzene is a dangerous carcinogen.

Benzene has been linked to leukemia and other blood cancers. For water safety standards, 5 parts per billion (ppb) is the maximum level of benzene allowed for public consumption.

However, soft drinks are not governed in the same way. There’s no enforced limit on benzene in drinkable fluids other than water. Ironically, over 15 years ago, traces of benzene found in Perrier water led to over 160 million bottles being pulled from store shelves worldwide. The exact soda brand names found containing benzene in this study have yet to be released by the FDA.

The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged in April 2006 a study in which a sample of diet sodas came back with 19 out of 24 sodas containing benzene. Those sodas, on average, had four times the benzene allowed in safe drinking water. In spite of those findings, the FDA maintained that they were not concerned about soft drinks and public safety.

Some government watchdogs, such as the Environmental Working Group, have suggested that the FDA is suppressing data about benzene in soft drinks.

Whatever the circumstances, benzene in soft drinks adds to the already extensive list of reasons to switch from sodas and diet drinks to healthier alternatives like water, tea or juice. As with all things, moderation is the key. An occasional indulgence is fine, but everyday consumption of soft drinks can have far reaching physical consequences if it’s not reigned in to a moderate level of usage.

© Copyright 2007 Insight Journal Online Magazine.

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FDA Press Release
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Soft Drinks Found to Have High Levels of Cancer Chemical [Times London]
Bone Maintenance and Sodas
Environmental Working Group website


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