Safeway Settles Soft Drink Benzene Lawsuit

By Jennifer Griffith

Published on June 12, 2007

San Francisco Bay Area residents Karen Sheehy and Jennifer Ricarte filed the suit in April 2006, claiming that ascorbic acid and potassium benzoate—both ingredients in Safeway Select Diet Orange soda—could combine to form small amounts of benzene when exposed to heat over time.

Benzene is a known carcinogen linked to the development of leukemia and other cancers.

In reaching the settlement, approved June 7 by the Superior Court of San Francisco, Safeway showed that it had modified the formula of its Safeway Select Diet Orange products to eliminate the potential for benzene.

As part of the settlement, Safeway will make available a claim form on its website so that consumers who purchased affected products prior to the November 1, 2006 reformulation date can get those products replaced for free.

Another benzene-related suit is currently being brought against PepsiCo Inc. and Shasta. The Coca Cola Company recently settled three similar suits brought by consumers.

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