Written question asked by Lord Lansley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 March 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 March 2006. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Tuesday, 14 March 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Soft Drinks (Benzene)

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Food Standards Agency regarding levels of benzene in soft drinks; whether she plans to introduce a maximum permissible limit for the quantity of benzene found in soft drinks; whether such a limit has existed in the past 30 years; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has informed me that the levels of benzene reported were not a concern for public health. On average people breath in 220 micrograms of benzene each day, which is the equivalent of drinking more than 27 litres of soft drinks containing the highest level of benzene reported. Nevertheless, the FSA is carrying out its own survey of benzene in soft drinks and will consider what action may be needed to further reduce benzene levels. Limits on the amount of sodium benzoate, a food preservative from which the benzene is considered to have been derived, have existed for many years, the most recent limit was introduced in 1996.

Secondary information