Mar 3, 2006
Benzene Soda Sense
Sciencebase has just received some additional information from Sense About Sense on the benzene in soft drinks debacle. SAS, is a UK organisation that promotes an evidence-based approach to scientific issues (something that all organisation should be promoting to be honest!).
Anyway, according to their spokesman (Cambridge chemist Jonathan Goodman), one would have to drink almost a litre (800 ml) of soft drink containing five times the WHO limit to match exposure from a single car journey. This is a comparison to that made by Richard Laming of the BSDA who says that someone living in a city consumes, on average, 400 micrograms of benzene from exhaust fumes in a normal day, which is equivalent to consuming 40 litres of a soft drink containing benzene at just over the World Health Organization guideline level of 10 parts per billion.
SAS also told us that benzoate does indeed degrade to benzene, as other media reports claimed. However, either of the possible reaction pathways, while plausible, “are probably very slow.”
JDavis, yes, you’re right, we must, but not simply because of the “benzoic” issue, but because sugar-rich carbonated acid solutions are insidiously building obesity, rotting teeth, and potentially reducing bone density. Drink water, right from the tap or well. It’s got a much nicer taste than any cola I’ve tried.
We must stop the public health epidemic of soda drinking.
Join us at http://www.benzoicsoda.com
Thanks for the additional information. I presume from your comment that you’re worried about benzene in soft drinks…
…me I’m more worried about the vast quantities of phosphate that youngster imbibe drinking cola and other fizzy drinks. Doesn’t it provide a nice leechant buffer for reducing the calcium content of their teeth and bones. Perfect for bone problems in 30-40 years.
Then there’s the sugar, of course…
Note that Richard Laming made that statement in the context of the recall in 1998 of 52 million cans of Coca-Cola due to benzene contamination that exceeded the WHO 10 ppb limit. (The contamination apparently was due to tainted carbon dioxide provided by a vendor). Until this year, 10 ppb has always served as the standard for a recall. (Perrier, 1990, Koala Springs, 1990, McKesson, 1990, Coke, 1998, Pepsi, 1998)
Also, as to the rate of the reaction, the internal Cadbury memos based on the testing done in 1990 showed the reaction started almost immediately. In testing done at an independent, certified lab here (NY), 3 days at 99 degrees greatly accelerates the reaction. Both heat and direct sunlight greatly accelerate the reaction — heat alone does. Industry documents emphasize the very hot conditions to which soft drinks are regularly exposed in the storage and transportation of the product.
The drinking water standard in the EU is 1 ppb. The standard in the US is 5 ppb. The WHO standard is 10 ppb. Soft drinks are mostly water. Many people drink more soft drinks than water. Why would you not enforce the water standard particularly given industry’s domination of the regulatory agencies, to include both the UK FSA and the US FDA? In 1991, Coca-Cola hired the #1 scientist after discovery of the problem.
Benzene in Soft Drinks
Blowing the Whistle on Project Denver
http://www.schoolpouringrights.com