Class Action Lawsuit for Benzene in Soft Drinks
Chemical tests revealed that benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, is present in bottled drinks. A Boston law firm filed a class action lawsuit against two beverage companies alleging that their drinks have more benzene than the Environmental Protection Agency allows for water.
The plaintiffs said in a statement that in their independent tests, an East Coast beverage — Polar Beverages’ Diet Orange Dry — contained 9.1 parts per billion (ppb) benzene, almost twice as high as the EPA’s 5 ppb cap set for drinking water. They said another beverage — BellyWashers 2/3 Less Sugar, manufactured by In Zone Brands, whose products are found nationwide — contained 69 ppb.
Polar Beverages has stated that its tests of Diet Orange Dry found no benzene.
The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts and Florida seek seek to stop the manufacturers from selling those drinks in those two states
In November, the FDA started testing a range of off-the-shelf drinks for benzene. Results will likely be released within the year, says Judy Kidwell, an FDA consumer safety officer. So far, she says, “the FDA does not believe benzene poses a concern.”
Filed under Class Action, General Law
