It's getting harder to determine which is more hazardous: Soft drinks or lawyers.
Coca-Cola Co. was sued Friday as part of an effort to force soft drink makers to eliminate ingredients in their products that can form cancer-causing benzene.
What's a pop drinker to do?
One thing is for certain. The bullies always go after the little guys first.
The companies that settled, Atlanta-based In Zone Brands Inc., maker of BellyWashers, and Preston, Wash.-based TalkingRain Beverage Co., denied that their products caused any harm. But they agreed to change their ingredients in April and May, after the suit was filed. They also agreed to refund or replace drinks made before the switch in ingredients.
Just set a legal precedent, and the next round of suits could pay off bigtime.
Right now, it's a case of dueling studies.
The Food and Drug Administration “has closely reviewed beverages for the presence of benzene in soft drinks several times in the past and each time has found no public health issue,” said Coke spokesman Ray A. Crockett.
Benzene can form in soft drinks containing vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, and either sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate. Scientists say factors such as heat or light exposure can trigger a reaction that forms benzene in the beverages.
Now, no one in their right mind is for poisoning people. If you believe that, you're spending too much time reading blogs. No, wait, I take that back.
Far too often, the judicial system is seen as a revenue source, and I happen to agree that this is probably another case of that.
I know, I know. I drink too much Coke. Hey, wait a minute. My grandfather worked for Coca Cola for 27 years. It's not my fault. I lost my hair! I need a good attorney...
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