Companies Settle Benzene Claims, Agree to Stop Using Benzene Ingredients

WASHINGTON -- InZone Brands Inc. and TalkingRain Beverage Co. have agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit claiming that the beverage manufacturers knowingly kept unsafe levels of benzene in their soft drinks.

According to published reports, the soft drink companies have also agreed to stop using ingredients that can result in the formation of benzene as part of the settlement agreement.

A specific soft drink named in the lawsuit was BellyWashers, a juice drink marketed to children.

The lawsuit was filed in the wake of a Food and Drug Administration report indicating that some diet sodas have …