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Benzene added to soft drinks and juices

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visual

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Benzene,found at unceptable levels in soft drinks and juices,apparently it`s used as a preservative.It causes leukemia so not acceptable in any amount in drinking water,but it`s added to juices.It`s also added to cigarettes.Now here is something we can do something to change this danger, stop buying and drinking soft drinks and juices.
 
Where did you get this info from visual? from recollection benzene is carcinogenic, and I certainly would not want to be drinking the stuff. What the hell is happening to our society?
 
I read it in the age,I think
on todays edition,that preservative is also known as 211
it was found that on some drinks the level of this preservative is up to 40 levels higher than it should be,the unhmr? also reiterated that its not allowed in drinking water but is allowed as a preservative.
I`ll try and find it again but I`ll need help in posting it here ,cause I woulnt have a clue how do that .

You`ll find the story on the adelaide advertiser and the sydney morning herald,if you could post it that would be great,
 
That's ok visual. Don't worry about chasing it up. I also suspect that plastic bottles are bad news. I have decided to go totally organic/paranoid on everything I eat and drink nowdays. sad state of affairs.
 
Joe,thanks for that,much appreciated ,unfortunately I make computer illiterate seem like computer nerds,Thanks again
 
visual said:
Joe,thanks for that,much appreciated ,unfortunately I make computer illiterate seem like computer nerds,Thanks again
Click to expand...

Visual, its a very simple proceedure. I'll have you cutting and pasting URL's in no time.

Just click in the URL bar so it is highlighted, then right click and select 'copy'.




When you are typing in your post and ready to insert the URL, simply right click and select 'paste'.



Then you're done!
 
Way off the orignal topic I know but still relevant to the benzene issue.

Benzene is also found in petrol. Whilst you (hopefully!) won't be drinking petrol, there is still the possibility of exposure via fumes from unburnt fuel and also if you get petrol on your skin there will be some absorption.

Premium unleaded (95 octane) contains more benzene than regular (91 octane) unleaded. 98 octane petrol tends to contain more than either. Whilst this isn't a problem when it's burnt (since the benzene burns) it's not a good idea to be handling petrol more than absolutely necessary.

If you must handle petrol (eg when filling the mower) then it's best to use the LOWEST grade that's suitable for the engine in question. For 2-stroke Victa etc mowers regardless of age regular unleaded mixed with 2-stroke oil will be fine. They don't have valves in the engine and never needed the lead.

For pre-1986 4-stroke engines (including car engines) it's safest to add "flash lube" or similar to guard against valve damage from using unleded fuel but in most cases there's no need for premium with mowers etc. Some older cars do need premium however.

If you run the Victa (or other) 2-stroke on premium then you'll end up breathing in quite a bit of benzene since there is always unburnt fuel in 2-stroke exhaust. Not good for your health. Likewise chainsaws, brush cutters, whipper snippers etc with 2-stroke engines. Some outboards do need premium though.

If you want a high octane petrol with low benzene content then an ethanol blend will do the job since the ethanol is an octane booster. It's generally preferable to use non-ethanol blended fuels where possible in 2-stroke engines however (since the ethanol can impair lubrication in these engines).
 
Smurf you are spot on about petrol. Also don't believe that whilst sitting in traffic on the way to work that you are immune to the fumes by having your windows up and the air conditioner on. If anything I reckon this concentrates the nasties.
 
Smurf,you information is relevant,but the thing that got me is the fact that benzene is added to health drinks as well as soft drinks,you expect to inhale or come in contact with this poison in everyday lives,but you dont expect it in health drinks.
For example we buy this expensive cordial made by Bickfords,and that has this stuff in it,this cordial is expensive but we figured its made in Australia,lets support Australian business plus we expected that the contents would be truer to the label than some others,forget it,from now on I`ll be looking at the labels ever more carefully.
 
Joe Blow said:
Yep that's it! Just always remember to add some sort of description as well, rather than just having the link on it's own. Even if it's as simple as:
Click to expand...

Joe will do,thanks again
 
While benzenes especially the polycyclic aromatics like those produced in cigarette smoking increase the likelyhood of the point mutations that will lead to cancer but by in large your DNA repair mechanisms are really quite resiliant. I don't think that the carcinogenic effect of these particles is what should be worrying you.

The huge caloric content of these drinks are what is really going to kill you as they will lead to insulin resitance, chronic heart failure and diabetes. Even before you are diagnosed with these clinical conditions your body will have been suffering for years in a pre-diabetic state and will decrease your life expectancy. These conditions are all grouped under the typically unimaginative names of metabolic syndrome or even syndrome x.

It is also a misconception that this is only a problem of your large and rounded friend. Reasonably slim ppl can suffer from this diseases and I can almost gaurantee that some of the traders here on ASF spending too much time in front of their computers will suffer from this condition.

Cancer is a really scary diagnosis but it is all those uneeded kilojoules that will send you to the grave early.

Be alert and alarmed
suhm and lets hope this bear goes away from the market except for BHP and RIO where they should swipe away, I want to buy some.
 
OK here's the facts:

Preservative 211 is sodium benzoate, which is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and yes it has a benzine ring. A benzine ring is six carbon atoms joined by altenating single and double bonds. So, it is an aromatic hydrocarbon. and that means it is a carcinogen.

As i am asthmatic and am allergic to most preservatives i always look and the ingredients of any drink i buy. The only softdrinks i have ever seen that do not have 211 are regular coke and shwepps lemonade.

here is the wikipedia page for aromatic hydrocarbons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatic_hydrocarbon
 
The good news is that most Australians can get a fairly good quality drink straight from the kitchen tap. And it's either free or at least very cheap depending on where you live.

Chlorine and fluoride in tap water are minor risks IMO compared with filling your body with sugar and all sorts of petroleum-derived chemicals. Letting the water stand for a while will get rid of most of the chlorine anyway.
 
Nice reading smurf,

I remember reading an article about benzene many years ago, the gist of it was that australia has the highest benzene levels in petrol in the world...

While im deviating from the soda/juice thread, id thought it would be good to mention just another one of those things that australia seems to be #1 at. Along with land tax, stamp duty, etc etc..... WERE #1, WERE #1....

DR
 
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