PepsiCo, others settle benzene suit: plaintiffs

Soft drink companies including PepsiCo Inc. have settled a lawsuit alleging that their products contained ingredients that could form the carcinogen benzene, the suit’s plaintiffs said on Thursday.

The settling companies, which also include Sunny Delight Beverages Co., Rockstar Inc., Polar Beverages Inc. and Shasta Beverages Inc., agreed to reformulate or had already reformulated some products to lessen the chance that their ingredients would form the cancer-causing chemical.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, elevated temperatures and light can stimulate benzene formation in some beverages that contain vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, and sodium or potassium benzoate.

PepsiCo voluntarily reformulated its Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi last September. Other drinks involved are Diet Rockstar, Polar Diet Orange Dry, Shasta Caffeine Free Regular Orange and Sunny Delight Citrus Punch, Baja Orange and Baja Berry.

The only remaining defendant in the case is Publix Supermarkets, over its private-label lemon lime and grape sodas, according to a statement from the plaintiffs.

Officials for Pepsi and Publix were not immediately available.

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