Healthbuzz

Parents Sue Soft Drink Cos. Over Benzene

by LaVonne on 11/04/06 at 4:57 pm

By LIBBY QUAID AP Food and Farm Writer

WASHINGTON Apr 11, 2006 (AP)— Two soft-drink companies were sued Tuesday by parents complaining that there might be cancer-causing benzene in kids’ drinks.

Attorneys filed class-action lawsuits against the companies in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston and Leon County Circuit Court in Tallahassee, Fla. They accused Polar Beverages Inc. and In Zone Brands Inc. of not taking steps to keep benzene from forming in their beverages.

Benzene, a chemical linked to leukemia, can form in soft drinks containing two ingredients: Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, and either sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate.

The presence of those ingredients doesn’t mean benzene is present. Scientists say factors such as heat or light exposure can trigger a reaction that forms benzene in the beverages.

“It’s impossible for parents to know which soft drinks are safe and which contain cancer-causing benzene,” said Timothy Newell, one of the plaintiffs.

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