Written question asked by Chris Ruane (Labour) on Friday, 3 March 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 March 2006. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 March 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Benzene

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of (a) nutrient levels in organic baby foods and (b) the incidence of benzene in drinks marketed for children.

Answer: Minimum levels of some nutrients in certain baby foods are defined in law. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has not carried out an assessment of nutrient levels in organic baby foods. The FSA would expect to see a range of nutrient contents in baby foods, due to differences in recipes and manufacturing practices.The FSA received a report from the soft drinks industry summarising the analysis of over 200 products for benzene. The levels of benzene reported were very low and not a concern for public health. Nevertheless, the FSA is carrying out its own survey of benzene in soft drinks on sale in the United Kingdom market and aims to publish the results within four weeks.

Secondary information