BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhuanet) -- The U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned on Friday that some soft drinks and beverages made in US contain high levels of cancer-inducing benzene.

Out of the more than 100 drinks that were sampled, five were found to have exceeded federal drinking-water standards which limit benzene levels in drinking water to 5 parts per billion.

The five companies were Safeway Select Diet Orange, Crush Pineapple, AquaCal Strawberry Flavored Water Beverage, Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange and Giant Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Levels of benzene were found as high as 79 parts per billion in one lot of Safeway Select Diet Orange.

Benzene, a chemical linked to leukemia, can form in soft drinks containing two ingredients: Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, and either of the two preservatives: sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate.

The mere presence of those ingredients, however, doesn't produce benzene. A chemical reaction takes place, resulting in the formation of benzene in the beverages, when factors such as heat or light exposure are involved.

The companies that make the drinks have been alerted and either have reformulated their products or plan to do so, the FDA said. Enditem
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