The FDA has proposed a new arsenic limit in Apple juice saying the acceptable level should be the same as it is for water.
Apple juice comes second only to orange juice with regards to popularity among kids worldwide and parents have been fretting about the safety of apple juice for their children. Two years after the first outcry about rising arsenic levels in apple juice, the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration has finally taken matters into its own hands by proposing a new arsenic limit in the juice.
Arsenic is a cancer causing agent, found practically everywhere, especially in water. After monitoring levels of arsenic in apple juice for over a decade, the FDA stated that the arsenic content of the juice is low enough to be considered "not dangerous" and is safe for consumption.
However, in a change of events, the administration has proposed a strict standard on how much arsenic is acceptable in apple juice, limiting the amount to the same level currently permitted in drinking water. The new standard states that any brand of apple juice containing more than 10 parts per billion could be removed from the market and companies could face legal action. An FDA analysis of dozens of apple juice samples last year found that 95 percent were below the new level. The previous acceptable level of arsenic was 23 parts per billion in apple juice, set in 2008.
"Overall the supply of apple juice is very safe and does not represent a threat to public health," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, in an interview with The Associated Press. "We decided to put forward this proposed action level to give guidance to industry and to assure ongoing safety and quality."
This is the first time the organization has put an arsenic limit on food. The first time the public became aware of this issue was in 2011 when physician and television personality Mehmet Oz pointed out that the arsenic levels in apple juice were too high. At that time he was criticized for not being able to tell the difference between the toxic, inorganic form of arsenic and its organic form, which is said to be less toxic.
