Arsenic in apple juice

Arsenic in apple juice, Almost two years after consumer groups raised alarms over arsenic levels found in apple juice, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today proposed setting an “action level” of 10 parts per billion of inorganic arsenic.

That level is the same as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for drinking water.

According to the FDA, none of the 94 samples of apple juice it analyzed in 2012 exceeded 10 ppb of inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen.

Urvashi Rangan, director of consumer safety and sustainability for Consumers Union, called the FDA’s announcement a move in the right direction. The advocacy arm of Consumer Reports released the results of its own testing on apple juice in 2011.

“While we would have liked to see a stronger (rule), we still applaud the FDA for what they did today,” Rangan said. “I still think it’s a really important first step and good precedent to set an action level for this particular contaminant in food.”

The FDA had previously set a “level of concern” for inorganic arsenic in apple juice at 23 ppb.

Like an action level, a level of concern can trigger various responses if exceeded, such as ordering further testing. Both terms are seen as less stringent than a formal standard, which if violated can trigger immediate enforcement actions.

The FDA says the proposed action level, which is subject to 60 days of public comment, will help with future food safety enforcement.

“FDA’s action level sends a strong signal to industry to help keep out of the food supply even the occasional lot of apple juice with arsenic levels above those permitted in drinking water,” FDA spokeswoman Theresa Eisenman said in an email. “The action level will also provide FDA investigators with the information they need when considering regulatory action.”

The sustainability and food safety group Food & Water Watch said it was also cautiously hopeful about the move.

“We wanted a standard, but the FDA said that it would take too long and require several hearings,” said Tony Corbo, a lobbyist for the group. “We hope that, at some point, they do put in place some concrete standards, but this is something where they agency can, at least, work with the industry when these levels are reached or exceeded.”

Pesticides are a source of inorganic arsenic, as is soil and groundwater pollution. But because some arsenic occurs naturally in the environment, it would be nearly impossible to eliminate it from foods completely.

The outcry about arsenic in apple juice was triggered by test results released in 2011 by consumer groups and the FDA.

In federal testing, 6 percent of 160 samples of apple juice analyzed from 2005 to 2011 exceeded 23 ppb for total arsenic, which includes both the organic and inorganic types.

At the time the FDA said said it was not sure what portion of that total was carcinogenic inorganic arsenic.

On Friday, the agency said that the new tests conducted last year found that “95 percent of the apple juice samples tested were below 10 ppb total arsenic; 100 percent of the samples were below 10 ppb for inorganic arsenic, the carcinogenic form of arsenic.”

“The FDA is committed to ensuring the safety of the American food supply and to doing what is necessary to protect public health,” FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said in a statement. “We have been studying this issue comprehensively, and based on the agency’s data and analytical work, the FDA is confident in the overall safety of apple juice for children and adults.”

Arsenic in apple juice 2013-07-12T13:10:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: My Videos Tube