Reps. Markey, Waxman Call on FDA To Take Soft Drinks Containing Cancer Causing Chemicals Off The Shelves

Reps. Markey, Waxman Call on FDA To Take Soft Drinks Containing Cancer Causing Chemicals Off The Shelves

In response to media reports about elevated levels of benzene—a harmful carcinogen—in many popular soft drinks and fruit and energy drinks, on March 27, 2006, Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representative Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), senior Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter to the FDA urging the FDA to take immediate action to warn and protect the public against the risk of benzene. The letter also requested that FDA provide detailed information about FDA's knowledge of and plan for addressing the benzene contamination by no later than April 10, 2006. Today, nearly two months later, FDA has not yet responded this letter. Late afternoon on Friday, May 19, 2006, the FDA decided to release select data from its own tests for benzene in beverages conducted by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).

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Rep. Markey and Rep. Waxman, released the following statements applauding the FDA's decision to release data on benzene levels in soft drinks and urging the FDA to take immediate action to protect the public.

Rep. Markey said, "Now that we know that certain soft drinks contain dangerous levels of cancer causing agents, we cannot sit idly by. The FDA must take whatever actions are necessary to ensure that these unsafe beverages are removed from our grocery store shelves. We are pleased that the FDA has finally decided to inform the public that at least some of soft drinks that pose a potential risk to the public health due to unsafe levels of benzene but the FDA now needs to release all of the data and take immediate action to ensure that soft drinks sold in the United States do not increase the risk of cancer."

Rep. Waxman said, "FDA's recent data proves, once again, what we already learned in 1990—that the beverage industry could not be trusted to voluntarily protect the public from dangerous drinks. It is time to stop relying on the empty promises of the industry. FDA must take immediate steps to make sure that unsafe beverage are taken off the shelves—and that they never enter the marketplace in the first place."

Rep. Markey said, "In 1990, the FDA relied on assurances from the beverage industry that they would voluntarily clean up their act and remove benzene from their products. These tests now prove that sixteen years later, the industry is still selling soda spiked with cancer-causing benzene. It is time for the FDA to take action to ensure that the American public is not poisoned by their pop. "

http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1605&Itemid=141