Are you concerned about arsenic in apple juice?
Dr. Oz alarmed many parents (myself included) when he revealed in a show that aired yesterday that a number of samples of apple juice he had tested allegedly contained levels of arsenic that measured higher than what the EPA considers safe for drinking water.
How does the arsenic get into the apple juice? Dr. Oz reports that some of the concentrate used to make apple juice originates in China and other countries where arsenic levels in the soil are much higher AND pesticides used on the fruit can contain arsenic as well. Dr. Oz went as far as to “name names” and call out the brands his testing showed as having higher arsenic levels. He recommended that parents examine apple juice for labels showing country of origin and stick to apples grown in the US. He also stated that the FDA has no limit to the amount of arsenic that can be present in foods coming into the US.
This left me wondering about the juice boxes I had just purchased for LJ’s lunches. I headed to the pantry to see what I could learn and how difficult it would be to identify the source of my juice.
Today on Good Morning America, Dr. Richard Besser called Dr. Oz’s claims “extremely irresponsible”. He argued that arsenic exists in two forms (organic and inorganic), and that only one is harmful. He stated that by only testing for the total amount of arsenic, the test is not giving a clear picture of what the harmful levels are. Dr. Oz refuted Dr. Besser’s claims that organic arsenic is not harmful. Dr. Besser also questioned the accuracy of the tests since they were only run by one lab.
The brands in question as well as the Juice Products Association did not appear on the Dr. Oz show, but sent statements that are available on Dr. Oz’s website. They stand by the fact that the levels of arsenic in their juice are compliant with FDA standards (remember, Dr. Oz pointed out that the FDA has no standards set on these levels).
I’ll be interested to see how this plays out over the upcoming weeks. It certainly brings to light some of the issues we face when we start bringing in foods produced in other countries and depending on our government agencies to keep us safe.
Are you concerned about arsenic in the apple juice you give to your kids? Why or why not? I’d love to hear what you think!
I haven’t been concerned – mainly because this is the first I’ve heard of it! Luckily we do not use a lot of juice at home, but when we do it is generally apple juice. Yikes.
I just read this thing last night in the news and so far it seems that I am not affected with it. I often times bought apple juice and when we are too concern about it then why only with a certain juice or products. In fact arsenic is present freely in our environment in water, air, soil and food. Until proven that it really has troubling levels then that would be a big concern already.
Wow. Interesting that the juice boxes did not have any marking on the outer package and that the orange box did not have any country of origin at all.
I haven’t been too concerned with it but now may pay closer attention to it.
schwinnluver@aol.com
I’m somewhat concerned about this, but since we don’t drink too much juice I am not freaking out too badly! I will continue to read the news as more studies are sure to follow about this!
llm1976@live.com
I am concerned. I would go with Dr. Oz’s statements. And it just adds to so many other concerns we should be aware of with food ingredients in general.
I saw the preview for this segment on Dr. Oz’s show but didn’t get to watch it; thus I really appreciate that you shared the details about it. Yes, arsenic in apple juice is quite concerning and I truly hope that mothers and everyone in general who consumes apple juice be more cautious with their origination. But if we’d all like to keep our family and loved ones safe, filtered water is what I’d stick by. Thanks for sharing!
I have heard a lot recently about arsenic in apple juice and I am
personally not going to buy it.There
are so many other juices to get out there.I am not taking any chances.
CharlieGurl57@aol.com
Upon reading this post, my first thought was “what about the apples everyone eats?”. Have you ever bought an apple at the store and then just eaten it? Most just run it under water. But apples are typically coated with wax to make them shiny. Wax is also a sealant. So realize that anything (such as pesticides) that are on that apple have been sealed in.
That’s why I always take a knife and scrape the skin of an apple thoroughly while placing it under running water. This removes the wax and gives you the best chance of actually cleaning the skin of the apple.
Our own government allows so much crap in our foods. Other countries are usually more stringent in their regulations. I think the bigger concern is if your child is drinking that much juice that the arsenic is a concern.
It’s sad but I don’t trust the FDA, CIA or the FBI. The citizens of America are not the first priority… only money.