Arsenic and Apple Juice: Round 2

Here we go again—it’s round 2 of the arsenic and apple juice debate. A report released today by Consumer Reports revealed 10% of its juice samples, from five brands, had total arsenic levels that exceeded federal drinking-water standards.

Today’s report stirs up the controversy surrounding arsenic in apple juice that made headlines in September when Dr. Mehmet Oz, 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).

FDA promptly issued a press release reassuring consumers about the safety of apple juice, and claiming most arsenic in juices and other foods is of the organic type that is “essentially harmless." While the maximum level of arsenic allowed in bottled water is 10 micrograms in one liter of bottled water or 10 parts per billion (ppb), there is no federal arsenic threshold established for fruit juices, however, FDA is collecting all relevant information to evaluate and determine if setting guidance or other level for inorganic arsenic in apple juice is appropriate.

Case closed. Consumer panic—if any—averted? Not so fast say the folks at Consumer Reports.

The Consumer Reports investigation showed it tested 88 samples of apple and grape juice from five well-known brands, including Mott’s, Minute Maid and Welch’s, and found that 10% of the samples surpassed government drinking-water standards of 10 parts per billion (ppb), and 25% of the samples had lead levels higher than the bottled-water limit of 5 ppb. Most of the arsenic detected in the tests was inorganic, a known carcinogen, rather than the organic form, which is considered nontoxic.

The investigation also included scientific analysis of federal health data, a consumer poll, and interviews with doctors and other experts. The following are highlights from the Consumer Report:

• Roughly 10% of juice samples, from five brands, had total arsenic levels that exceeded federal drinking-water standards. Most of that arsenic was inorganic arsenic.
• One in four samples had lead levels higher than the FDA’s bottled-water limit of 5 ppb. As with arsenic, no federal limit exists for lead in juice.
• Apple and grape juice constitute a significant source of dietary exposure to arsenic, according to analysis of federal health data from 2003 through 2008.
• A poll of parents showed 35% of children ages 5 and younger drink juice in quantities exceeding pediatricians’ recommendations.
• Mounting scientific evidence suggests that chronic exposure to arsenic and lead even at levels below water standards can result in serious health problems.
• Inorganic arsenic has been detected at disturbing levels in other foods, too, which suggests that more must be done to reduce overall dietary exposure.

The Juice Products Association issued a statement on the Consumer Reports investigation saying in part: “Juice is safe for consumers of all ages. That is the position of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), our Federal government’s best resource for conducting independent evaluations and making objective, science-based decisions.

Safety and quality have always been and will continue to be the top priorities for U.S. juice producers.  Juice producers thoroughly test their products and comply with Federal regulations requiring that companies evaluate their processes, ingredients and packaging to ensure food safety.

At the present time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),  based upon thorough scientific evaluation and risk assessment, has established a specific level of concern for inorganic arsenic in apple juice at 23 parts per billion (ppb) and a recommended maximum level for lead in fruit  juice at 50 ppb. FDA has repeatedly stated that its level of concern is a limit on inorganic arsenic that is just as enforceable as a regulation, and the FDA does take enforcement action if and when this level of concern is exceeded. It is important to note that none of the juice samples tested by Consumer Reports exceeded the 23 ppb level of concern for inorganic arsenic or the maximum level for lead in fruit juice."

So, what is next. FDA said it will continue to test juices and juice concentrate and evaluate data provided by industry, consumer groups and government agencies, as well as data published in scientific literature. If FDA finds too much inorganic arsenic in any juice, it will take steps to remove that product from the market.