Consumer Reports finds some juice has high levels of arsenic

by KennethQ » Wed Dec 07, 2011 04:14 pm

High lev-els of arsenic in fruit juice were the subject of a segment on Dr. Mehmet Oz's television program in September, commencing a media row with federal specialists. Oz's claims irked the Food and drug administration, but a brand new Consumer Reports study confirms Oz's findings. Get more info at: http://www.newsytype.com/



Arsenic amounts could change



The amount of arsenic allowed in fruit juice is very restricted by the FDA. Individuals have asked it to change this for some time now. Arsenic kills people. It is very dangerous. However, it is also a naturally taking place sub-stance.



Natural arsenic and inorganic arsenic (used for pesticides) are various types, as reported by USA Today. That is why the Food and Drug Administra-tion doesn't want to crack down too harshly on arsenic content of foods like fruit juices, be-cause it is almost impossible to eliminate all traces of it. Organic arsenic, at the microscopic concentration seen in foods, harmlessly washes out of the system. However, after a good deal of negative publicity, the FDA is reportedly looking at revising its guidelines.



Segmet aired by Dr. Oz



In Sept, Dr. Oz aired a section on his television program that highlighted the arsenic content in some popular brands of fruit juice. Dr. Oz, as reported by the Boston Globe, employed ESML Analytical Inc. to test several juices for arsenic content. They found that of the 36 brands of apple juice they analyzed, 10 ex-ceeded 10 parts per billion of arsenic, which Dr. Oz contends the limit should be set to. One reached 36 parts per billion.



Consumer Reports, as reported by MSNBC, recently released a similar analysis of 88 brands of apple and grape juice. These did exactly what Oz said they would. They found arsenic levels to be too excessive. Of the juices examined by Consumer Reports, 10 percent of all samples including four grape juice and five apple juice brands exceeded 10 parts per billion of arsenic, the FDA’s limit for drinking water. Inorganic arsenic was mainly what was found in the Consumer Reports study.



Why Food and Drug Administration allows more in juice



Since the Food and Drug Administration assumes that people drink more water than juice in one day, it limits juice to 23 parts per billion. Therefore, the bureau allows more arsenic in juice as the greater consumption of water will “balance out” the greater arsenic content.



Welch’s Pourable Concentrate 100 percent Apple juice had the lowest level of arsenic analyzed by Consumer Reports. Arsenic was also low in America’s Choice Apple, Red Jacket Orchards 100 percent and Tropicana 100 percent juices.



Children under the age of 6 months, as re-ported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, should not drink fruit juice depending on the amount of sugar involved, as reported by the Washington Post.



Sources



USA Today: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2011-11-30/FDA-examines-level-of-arsenic-in-apple-juice/51511750/1

MSNBC: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45491242/ns/today-today_health/#.Ttf6k2WP-_0

Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailydose/2011/09/does-apple-juice-have-unsafe-levels-arsenic/QoHo6FYDd8bm0S5JAjvLEN/index.html

Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/arsenic-fears-aside-apple-juice-can-pose-a-health-threat-_-from-calories-nutritionists-say/2011/12/01/gIQALuyYHO_story.html

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