Arsenic
An investigation into the danger in levels of arsenic found in bottled juice has prompted advocacy that the Food and Drug Administration’s standards for arsenic in juice drinks be lowered. [1]
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is considering lowering its standards for the levels of arsenic allowed in apple juice after consumer groups pushed the agency to crack down on the contaminant. [2]
Arsenic has long been recognized as a poison and a contaminant in drinking water, but now concerns are growing about arsenic in foods, especially in fruit juices that are a mainstay for children. [3]
While federal standards exist for arsenic and lead levels allowed in bottled and drinking water, there are no limits defined for fruit juices, a mainstay of many children’s diets, putting them at unnecessary risk for serious health problems, including several forms of cancer. [4]
Of or containing arsenic, especially with valence 5. [5]
Controversy over arsenic in apple juice made headlines as the school year began when Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ told viewers that tests he’d commissioned found 10 of three dozen apple-juice samples with total arsenic levels exceeding 10 parts per billion (ppb). [3]
Most of the arsenic detected in Consumer Reports’ tests was a type known as inorganic, which is a human carcinogen. [6]
Consumer Reports tested 88 samples of popular brands of grape and apple juice sold in the United States, including Mott’s, Minute Maid and Welch’s. [1]
Now, Consumer Reports has published the results of a large-scale investigation into arsenic and lead levels in popular brands of apple juice and grape juice. [7]
In a statement to ABC News regarding the new Consumer Reports data the FDA — which stated in September 2011 amid public controversy that apple juice consumption poses little or no risk — said it is now gathering further information. [6]
Sources:
[1] Arsenic in Juice: New Study Prompts Action
[2] FDA examines level of arsenic in apple juice
[3] Arsenic in your juice
[4] Consumer Reports Investigation: Varying Arsenic and Lead Levels in …
[5] arsenic: Definition from Answers.com
[6] Arsenic in Juice: New Study Prompts Action - Yahoo! News
[7] Apple Juice, Arsenic and Lead - YouBeauty.com