FDA Posts Data on Benzene in Soft Drinks

Earlier this week, FDA posted data documenting levels of benzene found in a range of beverages. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) conducted the analyses of the beverages between Nov. 2005 and April 20, 2006. For more information on this issue, see /news/2006/04/cfsan-responds-to-benzene-in-soft-drinks-issue.aspx.

In a May 22 press release, CFSAN notes that "the vast majority of beverages sampled to date (including those containing both benzoate preservative and ascorbic acid) contain either no detectable benzene or levels below the 5 ppb limit for drinking water. The results of the survey indicate that the levels of benzene found in soft drinks and other beverages to date do not pose a safety concern for consumers." The release goes on to state that FDA is working with the industry to make sure that beverage formulas are designed to effectively keep benzene levels below the 5 ppb standard for drinking water. FDA and CFSAN plan to update their data as they collect and analyze more beverage samples.

FDA's report significantly notes that the data collected "should not be understood to be a reflection of the distribution of benzene in beverages in the U.S. food supply. The data cover a limited number of products, a limited number of brands, and a limited geographic region." The reports also states that due to the limited survey data to date, FDA cannot yet determine the sources of variation in measured benzene levels, "such as variability between different product lots and the effects of storage and handling." The report also notes that "FDA has followed up with companies whose samples of products were found to contain elevated levels of benzene in CFSAN's recent survey. FDA will continue to follow up with manufacturers as survey results warrant."

The report notes that some beverage manufacturers are in the process of reformulating products to reduce benzene levels, and the data show some before and after test results for products that have already undergone reformulation.

The full report, including sample data, can be found at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/benzdata.html.