FDA proposes arsenic standards for apple juice

[Jazzy]

Apple juice must meet new arsenic standards proposed by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency said Friday.

The new standards set an "action level" of 10 parts per billion inorganic arsenic found in apple juice. The announcement comes more than a year after concern over the naturally-occurring carcinogen found in apple juice and other products gained national attention following tests conducted on "The Dr. Oz Show."

Arsenic is a semi-metal that's naturally found in soil and minerals. It can get into air, water and the ground from wind-blown dust and runoff.

Prolonged exposure to arsenic has been linked to risk for cancer and skin cancer, but also other health issues including heart disease, diabetes and neurological effects, Dr. Ken Spaeth, director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center at the department of population health at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., explained to CBSNews.com.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had in place arsenic standards of 10 parts-per-pillion for drinking water, but the same hadn't been true for apple juice. During a Sept. 2011 show, Dr. Mehmet Oz revealed test results that suggested potentially dangerous levels of arsenic in many brands of children's juices.

Medical experts and Juice manufacturers also slammed the reports at the time.

More than one month later, Consumer Reports conducted its own apple juice tests looking for inorganic arsenic in 88 samples. The magazine's testers found arsenic levels exceeding the EPA's 10 parts per billion limit in apple juice, with the top range upwards of 13.9 parts-per-billion. Some grape juices tested even higher.

Full article with video

Why on earth is there ANY arsenic in these juices? No more apple juice for me!

 

[Evil Eye]

Apparently apples (and other plants) naturally absorb the stuff from the ground (where it can naturally occur). Aside from that, pesticides maybe.

 

[Suzaku]

I remember Dr. Oz on his TV show did a segment on this, and if I remember correctly, Nestle threatened to sue if he didn't stop talking about it.

 

[DrLeftover]

I guess you're just going to have to quit eating

The USA Rice Federation tells consumers that there is no reason to be concerned about arsenic in food. Its website states that arsenic is “a naturally occurring element in soil and water” and “all plants take up arsenic.”

But “natural” does not equal safe. Inorganic arsenic, the predominant form of arsenic in most of the 65 rice products we analyzed, is ranked by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as one of more than 100 substances that are Group 1 carcinogens. It is known to cause bladder, lung, and skin cancer in humans, with the liver, kidney, and prostate now considered potential targets of arsenic-induced cancers.

...
Rice is not the only source of arsenic in food. A 2009-10 study from the EPA estimated that rice contributes 17 percent of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic, which would put it in third place, behind fruits and fruit juices at 18 percent, and vegetables at 24 percent. A more complete study by the European Food Safety Authority found cereal products could account for more than half of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic, mainly because of rice.

includes extensive chart at bottom of page:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm