The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, announced it has identified the following soft drinks as containing high levels of benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer:

• Crush Pineapple
• Safeway Select Diet Orange
• Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
• Giant Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail
• AquaCal Strawberry Flavored Water Beverage
  

Dr. Laura Tarantino, director of the FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety, said drinking sodas high in benzene does not pose a health risk -- while the people at the Environmental Working Group accuses the FDA of past and present suppression of information about benzene in soft drinks and views the benzene levels in soft drinks a problem. "FDA's test results confirm that there is a serious problem with benzene in soda and juices," said Richard Wiles, senior vice president at Environmental Working Group.

Basically, the problem is sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid, which together form benzene. Benzene is a known cancer-causing chemical.

This is a problem that has been going on for years -- both here and in Europe. Over the months we have reported on the possible cover-ups and controversy related to the cancer risks of some soft drinks and about the good guys and bad guys of this continuing story. You can read a bit of background on this issue here and here.