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| Soft Drinks Found to Contain High; Levels of Cancer-Causing Benzene | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 8 2006, 11:54 AM (144 Views) | |
| Ol' Griz | Aug 8 2006, 11:54 AM Post #1 |
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Ol' Griz
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Soft Drinks Found to Have High Levels of Cancer Chemical Traces of a carcinogenic chemical have been found in soft drinks at eight times the level permitted in drinking water, it was revealed last night. Tests conducted on 230 drinks on sale in Britain and France have identified high levels of benzene, a compound known to cause cancer, according to the Food Standards Agency. There is a legal limit of one part per billion of benzene in British drinking water. The latest tests revealed levels of up to eight parts per billion in some soft drinks. Benzene has been linked to leukaemia and other cancers of the blood. Traces found in Perrier water 15 years ago led to the withdrawal of more than 160 million bottles worldwide. The disclosure has prompted food safety campaigners to demand that the Government reveal which products contain benzene. At present, the drinksı identities have not been revealed. Richard Watts, of Sustain, a pressure group lobbying for better food standards, said that this should be done urgently because the drinks were being marketed to children. The scientific evidence is unclear about whether there is any safe level of benzene. We see no reason why it should be different from the designated safe level in drinking water. If it is unsafe in drinking water, why should it be safe in soft drinks?," he said. The Food Standards Agency, the government watchdog, said that the products did not pose an immediate health risk, but called for further investigation from the British drinks industry. Letıs have further investigations and regular discussions with the drinks industry to check what is happening. If levels are high then the FSA will take action to protect consumers, an agency spokesman said. Food scientists believe that high levels of benzene may have been produced by the reaction of two commonly used ingredients sodium benzoate, a preservative, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Sodium benzoate is widely used in the drinks sector. In Britain, it is used in Britvic brands including Britvic 55 apple and orange flavours, Pennine Spring flavoured waters and Shandy Bass.It is not known if any of these products were included in the latest tests. A spokesman for Britvic has previously expressed confidence in its products. A spokesman for the British Soft Drinks Association said yesterday that the industry was working to reduce the levels of benzene in soft drinks. There is an obligation on the industry to have as low a level of benzene as possible and we are looking at ways of reducing the levels and maybe even removing the preservative if we can replace it with something else, he said. When minuscule traces of benzene were discovered in Perrier water 15 years ago, it forced the French company to withdraw millions of bottles. Tests have been carried out in Europe after US food watchdogs found benzene in juices and sodas. The Food and Drug Administration registered its concern about the possible long-term effects on health. Professor Glenn Lawrence, of Long Island University, who first conducted tests for benzene in soft drinks 13 years ago, said that the combination of sodium benzoate and vitamin C was commonly used in drinks in the early 1990s. He said that drinks firms were now putting vitamin C back into drinks to encourage consumers to buy the product. He said that this was being done to encourage parents to buy the drinks to improve their childrenıs health but it might just be doing the opposite. BENZENE FACTS * Michael Faraday discovered benzene in 1825 when he isolated it from oil gas to form a chemical, six parts carbon, six parts hydrogen * It is produced during incomplete combustion of carbon-rich substances: it is produced from petrochemicals, but occurs naturally in volcanoes, forest fires and in cigarette smoke * In the 19th and early 20th centuries it was used in aftershave, for its pleasant smell, and to decaffinate coffee. It is now used as an anti-knock agent in petrol * It is an aggressive carcinogen and may lead to leukaemia and other cancers of the blood * In 1993, Professor Glenn Lawrence, of Long Island University, published research showing that the sodium benzoate and vitamin C found in soft drinks could react to form benzene. He suggested that drink companies were putting vitamin C into drinks to encourage customers to buy them Copyright 2006 Times Newspapers Ltd.
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| "Lemeca Akicita, wau welo!" | |
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| Loveandbeloved | Aug 9 2006, 01:13 AM Post #2 |
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Jeesh, i don't drink soft drinks; however i never knew that about the Vit. C additive into. Awful!!!! |
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| Loveandbeloved | Aug 9 2006, 12:28 PM Post #3 |
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I thought this article fits right in here... What's in My Food? By Pallavi Gogoi Few people know that the food coloring listed as cochineal extract comes from female beetles. Food activists want to spread the word. When you dig into a strawberry Yoplait yogurt, take a moment to contemplate where the beautiful pink color comes from. Strawberries? Think again. It comes from crushed bugs. Specifically, from the female cochineal beetles and their eggs. And it's not just yogurt. The bugs are also used to give red coloring to Hershey Good & Plenty candies, Tropicana grapefruit juice, and other common foods...more at link. http://money.aol.com/bw/general/canvas3/_a...808141909990001 |
| In Love | |
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| Loveandbeloved | Aug 9 2006, 01:50 PM Post #4 |
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Check out this article... http://www.present-truth.org/Health%20Libr...27s-corner3.htm Oh dear, not ice cream!!!
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| In Love | |
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| simple simon | Aug 12 2006, 06:22 PM Post #5 |
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One
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Hi folks, heres a link to news about Salmonella (which causes food poisoning) in chocolate bars produced by the prestigious company known as Cadbury. Needless to say I am now avoiding ALL their products - not only because of the risk but because they first tried to keep this info quiet, so therefore I cannot have confidence that more of their products are not also contaminated. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5112470.stm -------------------------------------------- Cadbury salmonella scare probed Cadbury said the withdrawal was a "precautionary measure" An investigation is under way after Cadbury withdrew a million chocolate bars which may have been contaminated with a rare strain of salmonella. The company says the recall - while the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency investigate - is precautionary and that the risk is low. But a bacteriologist says there is no safe level for salmonella in chocolate. <snip> Simon
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Citizen of Planet Earth, living in the British Isles. | |
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| simple simon | Aug 12 2006, 06:26 PM Post #6 |
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One
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Hi L&B Thanks for highlighting this - I did know about this, but thought that the bettles they use are pregnant - which of course is even worse..... as if that were possible :-( Simon |
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Citizen of Planet Earth, living in the British Isles. | |
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