Cancer fears over fizzy drinks

Fanta is one of the fizzy drinks under investigation

Food safety authorities will not be following their American, British and German counterparts in investigating the presence of cancer-causing benzene in soft drinks.

But manufacturers are taking no chances, with one major New Zealand company and Australian firms doing additional follow-up tests.

America's Food and Drug Administration is launching a full-scale investigation into fizzy drinks after it finally confirmed its 1990 test finding that certain preservatives and antioxidants can interact to create benzene.

The tests discovered that benzene forms over time when the preser-vative sodium benzoate (on ingredient lists as 211) mixes with antioxidants ascorbic acid (300) and citric acid (330). Both acids occur naturally; ascorbic acid is vitamin C and citric acid is found in citrus fruit.

Britain's Food Standards Agency and Germany's food safety watchdog, BfR, are also conducting their own investigations on the back of the FDA's concerns, but authorities in Australia and New Zealand are not pressing the panic button yet.

Australian manufacturers, however, are retesting their products "just to be on the safe side", despite preliminary tests showing no problems.

Transtasman food regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand is in talks with industry about the findings, but is not overly concerned.

A spokeswoman said "low levels" of benzene were produced from the interaction between the additives.

"Testing is so accurate these days you can find minute traces of anything in food - it doesn't mean it's a problem."

But Green MP Sue Kedgley wants the New Zealand Food Safety Authority to conduct urgent tests.

Coca-Cola Amatil, which manufactures the Lift and Fanta range, said benzene was common in the environment and was found naturally in many foods.

"Most human exposure comes from breathing it in the air. Industry testing last year indicates that levels of benzene in our products do not exceed applicable local regulatory limits," said spokeswoman Aimee Driscoll.

She noted the US concerns, but said they related to only a small number of products, none of which was a product of the Coca-Cola company.

Frucor Beverages, which distributes Pepsi, 7UP, Mirinda and Fanta, is aware of advice to the industry on this issue.

Chief executive Carl Bergstrom said consumer safety was of the utmost importance.

"While some of our products contain the common preservative sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid [vitamin C, either occurring naturally or added] we are satisfied that all are well below the World Health Organisation safety standard for benzene in drinking water of 10 parts per billion. Our regime of product testing continues to confirm this."

The New Zealand Juice and Beverage Association said tests had been done by its members in New Zealand and overseas on products similar to those available here, and levels of benzene did not exceed regulatory limits.