You may have seen some recent reports on benzene in beverages, but benzene is actually ubiquitous in the environment from natural and human developments and can be found in air, water, and some foods. Benzene is a known human carcinogen produced from both natural and man-made resources. Following reports that benzene had been detected at low levels in some soft drinks containing benzoate salts (antimicrobial agents) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and formed under specific conditions, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted new analyses of a variety of beverages. FDA has concluded that the results of their recent survey indicate their confidence that the levels of benzene found in soft drinks do not pose a public health safety concern. For more detailed information on benzene, how it is formed, and what FDA is doing about it, check out the IFIC Foundation's
Questions and Answers About Benzene, with links to FDA’s statements and further exposure data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information, view FDA’s statement at: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01355.html
And the IFIC Foundation’s Questions and Answers About Benzene at: http://www.ific.org/publications/qa/benzeneqa.cfm
