Benzoic acid intake from drinks in Hong Kong students
What it found
Secondary school students in Hong Kong took in benzoic acid from pre-packaged drinks at levels below the acceptable daily intake.
Soft drinks were the main source.
What they found
Studies in people
Average exposure
Average consumers took in 0.31 mg per kg of body weight per day from pre-packaged drinks. This was 6.1% of the acceptable daily intake.
High exposure
High consumers, at the 95th percentile, took in 0.97 mg per kg of body weight per day. This was 19.3% of the acceptable daily intake.
Main drink source
Soft drinks contributed most to benzoic acid exposure from pre-packaged drinks, as in other countries.
What the authors conclude
- They report that average and high consumers took in 6.1% and 19.3% of the acceptable daily intake, respectively.
- They note that soft drinks contributed most to dietary exposure to benzoic acid from pre-packaged beverages in Hong Kong.
How it was done
The study estimated how much benzoic acid students in Hong Kong got from pre-packaged drinks. It used local food consumption data from 2000 and benzoic acid levels measured in drinks available locally in late 2006.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study estimated exposure from drinks only, not from all foods.
- It used consumption data from 2000 and drink levels from 2006, so it may not reflect current intakes.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Centre for Food Safety, China
The paper
- Title
- Dietary exposure of secondary school students in Hong Kong to benzoic acid in prepackaged non-alcoholic beverages
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Ma KM, Chan CM, Chung SW, Ho YY, Xiao Y (2009). Dietary exposure of secondary school students in Hong Kong to benzoic acid in prepackaged non-alcoholic beverages. Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment. doi:10.1080/02652030802256341PubMed 19680865DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error