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May 22, 2006
FDA has posted results obtained between November 2005 and April 20, 2006, from CFSAN's ongoing survey of benzene in beverages. In November 2005, FDA received private laboratory results reporting low levels of benzene in a small number of soft drinks that contained benzoate salts (an antimicrobial) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). FDA has no regulatory limits for benzene in beverages other than bottled water, for which FDA uses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5 ppb for drinking water, as a quality standard.
As follow-up to the November 2005 benzene results reported to it, FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) initiated a limited survey of beverages with a focus on soft drinks that contain both benzoate salts and ascorbic or erythorbic acid. The vast majority of beverages sampled to date (including those containing both benzoate preservative and ascorbic acid) contain either no detectable benzene or levels below the 5 ppb limit for drinking water. The results of the survey indicate that the levels of benzene found in soft drinks and other beverages to date do not pose a safety concern for consumers. FDA is taking steps, along with industry, to make sure that benzene formation in beverages is minimized to levels below the drinking water standard of 5 ppb.
The data are available at "Data on Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages." FDA has also posted "Questions and Answers on the Occurrence of Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages" on its web site.
On May 19, 2006, CFSAN placed new information for the 2006 hurricane season on its website at "Food Safety Information for Hurricanes, Power Outages, & Floods." The new webpage contains consumer and retail food and water safety information covering hurricanes, power outages, and floods. It also includes a community flyer with Key Tips on Power Outages and Key Tips on Hurricanes and Floods, which can be printed on a one-page, back-and front flyer for easy distribution. The updated advice was developed in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CFSAN has posted its Community Educator's Guide, "Preventing Listeriosis in Pregnant Hispanic Women in the U.S.," on its website. This program contains everything health educators need to inform their communities about how to prevent the deadly listeriosis disease. The risk to Hispanic women is much higher than it is for the general population because of the cultural tradition of eating Mexican-style soft cheeses like queso fresco, which are often made from "raw" (unpasteurized) milk. When pregnant women eat Mexican-style soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, they are putting their unborn babies at risk. Many women are simply unaware that cheese made with unpasteurized milk can harbor these deadly bacteria. That is why this guide was created, to make it easier to spread this important health message. It includes a variety of handouts and tools to be reproduced and distributed-along with background information regarding the disease, its symptoms, and how to prevent it.
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Office of Food Safety, Defense, and Outreach |
CFSAN Web site: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/ |
