Fifteen years ago the Food and Drug Administration said, “Trust us.” Its scientists had found benzene, a known carcinogen, in some sodas and fruit drinks. The same levels in drinking water would have triggered mandatory action and public notification through newspaper, radio and TV ads. Yet the FDA neither sounded the alarm nor required the beverage industry to fix the… return to article
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Reader Comments (8)Page 1 of 1 pagesSeveral questions spring to mind on the benzene issue. First why haven’t public activist groups picked up the ball and informed the public? Next, why have not these same activist groups filed class action suits? Finally, what is wrong with the American public that upon learning they are being poisoned that they do not boycott the products?
Seems to me there is a lot that we the people can do regardless of what piece of legislation is or is not made into law. We do NOT have to buy poison, and if we do we assume responsibility for our own and our childrens health.
I do not consume soft drinks or fruit drinks of any kind and my life is not in a state of stark deprivation, we the people, have incredible consumer power that we are either too weak, or too lazy to invoke.
Thanks for speaking out on this issue.
Posted by rvrman on Mar 29, 2006 at 3:01 AM A lot of information here that I was not aware of. I’ve been suspicious of soft drinks for a while and now I see there is good reason for such thoughts.
Excellent article, thank you for bringing this out to the public eye.
Posted by tangent on Mar 29, 2006 at 9:11 AM This is a follow up to my earlier comments. I went out and did a quick survey of soft drinks including fruit drinks. Better than 80 percent of those I checked contained the additives, sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid.
I immediately drafted email to the head of the policy unit of the Consumers Union detailing this information and making reference to this article and several other sources about the dangers of benzene in our soft drinks.
I also found that there is a possibility that benzene in these drinks contributes to symptons similar to those of ADHD and ADD in both children and adults.
I would say we are are in serious trouble.
Posted by rvrman on Mar 29, 2006 at 9:26 AM http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060329-095254-4737r
Posted by spayced on Mar 29, 2006 at 11:38 PM Very interesting article. I guess I haven’t really been keeping up to speed on important issues. This is one I was not aware of… which brings up a good point, “Public Awareness”! This magazine is not widely circulated among the public (at least not the people I know). It seems that people like to ignore issues like this, don’t see them as important in comparison to their materialistic values and busy careers, or don’t want to face information that will interfere with their beliefs, habits, and complacency. I, on the other hand, am not one of those people (in general) but I will admit that I am guilty of being ingorant at times for different reasons. It’s important to stay aware of what is affecting the world aroung us, our health, and our choices.
Currently, I am enrolled in college full-time and work a full-time job from 8:00AM to 5:00PM. I am caught up in the hustle and bustle of trying to become successful. In my college experience, I happen to be taking a nutrition course. It’s making me more aware of of my lifestyle choices and eating habits. That’s why this article jumped out at me and I decided to read it.
Caner has been on my mind lately because it seems that I’m hearing of more and more people who are dying from it on a regular basis. Recently, a long-time friend and neighbor was diagnosed with lung cancer. It baffles me to think of a man who never smoked in his life, worked in a clean environment, lives in the country, and frequents health food stores has lung cancer. The last time I ran into him, it was in an Organic foods store.
This is not the only case of unexplained cancer that I’ve heard of recently. In fact, it’s just one of many.
Posted by Jamieleigh514 on Mar 30, 2006 at 10:42 PM IMPORTANT UPDATE ON BENZENE:
(AP) Cancer-causing benzene has been found in soft drinks at levels above the limit considered safe for drinking water, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged.
“The admission contradicted statements last week, when officials said FDA found insignificant levels of benzene.""In fact, a different study ound benzene at four times the tap water limit, on average, in 19 of 24 samples of diet soda”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/06/health/main1476464.shtmlTAKE ACTION
http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/notinmyfood/learn.htmlASPARTAME SAFE?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/05/health/webmd/main1473654.shtmlWith aspartame being increasingly contained in practically all areas of food items these days, it stands to reason that with as much lobbying power industry weilds in Washington, that they also would influence scientific research. An article that touts the safety of aspartame is worth millions - never mind the fine print that casts doubt on the research.
ASPARTAME RESEARCH ARTICLE REFUTED
http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=34191
Posted by Tim Christopher on Apr 10, 2006 at 9:30 PM HOW ABOUT A LITTLE FIRE, SCARECROW?
Arsenic may be called the king of poisons, but it is everywhere: in the environment, in the water we drink and sometimes in the food we eat. “The amount is not enough to kill anyone in one fell swoop, but arsenic is a recognized cancer-causing agent and many experts say that no level should be considered safe. Arsenic may also contribute to other life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes, and to a decline in mental functioning.” The important thing to keep in mind is the accumulation of toxins, from a variety of sources, over time....
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/dining/05well.html?ex
=1301889600&en=9e2e0f56af407166&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rssTAKE ACTION
http://www.consumersunion.org/campaigns/notinmyfood/learn.html
Posted by Tim Christopher on Apr 10, 2006 at 9:40 PM Hmm… I thought states rights was a big conservative value. Well, I guess nowadays only wild-eyed whacko liberal hippies need states’ rights, eh? The Bush Administration sure doesn’t seem to need them.
This also goes to show you that a fundamental tenet of free-market true-believers - that the market will self-regulate in areas such as public safety, and therefore doesn’t need public oversight - simply doesn’t hold up in the real world.
The goal of most corporations is to make money - very few, if any corporations have as a core mission to protect public safety, and if they do, it takes a back seat to making money.
And speaking of dangerous cocktails - we see yet another odious example of one of the most prevalent bad combos of our time - politics and big corporations.
Politics just doesn’t mix well with mega-corporations, mega-media, or mega-churches either.
Seems like to me we ought to pass a law making it illegal to be a professional politician. Political offices and campaigns should be part-time ventures run by working citizens who are part of the real world - not isolated in some pseudo-bubble the way our politicians are now.
All politicians nowadays are just gaping mouths for corporations to pour donations into.
Seems to me that’s what really has to change.
Posted by yogione on Apr 8, 2007 at 11:36 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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