Apple juice discovered to have arsenic levels

Nov 30, 2011, 12:44 by R.E. Christian

A U.S. test of apple juice and grape juice found 10 percent had arsenic levels higher than federal drinking water standards, Consumer Reports said.

Ten percent of the 88 juice samples had arsenic levels exceeding the federal drinking water standard of 10 parts per billion, while 25 percent had arsenic levels higher than the 5 ppb permitted in bottled water by the Food and Drug Administration.

There are no defined limits for arsenic and lead in fruit juices sold in the United States, the non-profit research organization said Wednesday in a release. The FDA, however, recently told consumer advocacy groups it is seriously considering setting guidance for permissible levels of inorganic arsenic in apple juice.

Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, said the federal government should establish a standard of 3 ppb for total arsenic and 5 ppb for lead in juice.

The findings are featured in the January issue of Consumer Reports.

Urvashi Rangan, director of Safety & Sustainability at Consumer Reports, said the organization is concerned about the potential risks of arsenic and lead, especially for children.

Consumer Reports said the samples came from ready-to-drink bottles, juice boxes and cans of concentrate purchased from various locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Source: UPI