The FDA has set an industry standard for the amount of inorganic arsenic allowed to be in a substance for it to be allowed to be sold and consumed by humans.
There have been alarming levels of inorganic arsenic found in apple juice being sold across the country. On September 6, 2024, a previous recall was expanded to encompass even more bottles.
The Original Recall
The first recall occurred on August 15, 2024 and only included 10,000 cases of apple juice in 25 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The recall also only included cases of the “Great Value” brand of apple juice originally.
The reasoning for the recall was that the FDA released that the potency of the arsenic could have the potential to cause health issues.
The New Recall
What started off as a recall involving 10,000 cases of juice has now expanded to a recall of over 133,000 cases. The FDA asserted that this warning includes beverages manufactured by a company called Refresco Beverages.
Drinks manufactured by this organization are not just sold at Walmart but also other retailers such as Aldi, Walgreens, and BJs. The drinks could be bought via 8-ounce, 64-ounce and 96-ounce bottles.
Is Your State Affected?
The list of states that have been seen to sell contaminated apple juice are Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
If your state has been listed above, keep an eye out for apple juice on the shelves of your local retailer. Don’t make the mistake of carelessly tossing the juice into your cart without making sure it’s safe!
Above Safe Levels
Technically there is only allowed to be 10 ppb of arsenic in apple juice in order to be considered safe to have. Arsenic is a heavy metal and is toxic to eat.
Some ways that arsenic can get into food are through mining nearby natural resources or through pesticides during farming.
Yanked from the Shelves
After the original recall, Walmart officials released a statement promising to take the apple juice off of the shelves and no longer continue to market the product to consumers.
They also committed to reaching out to the supplier of the product to investigate the manufacturing process and learn how the levels of chemicals got to be so high.
Has Anyone Died?
There have been no reported cases of serious illnesses being diagnosed as a result of consuming the apple juice.
Additionally, the FDA has claimed that the levels of the chemical that have been found in the juice is not prominent enough to warrant serious health conditions. However, this doesn’t mean it is entirely safe to consume either.
Don’t Drink that Juice!
People have been advised to throw away any cases of juice they possess from previous purchases. They also have the opportunity to bring the juice back to wherever they bought it to get their money back. But either way, people should not continue to consume contaminated beverages.
Routine testing should ensure that if a food product containing arsenic missed being spotted originally, it will be seen eventually and recalled so nobody else has the chance to buy it.
Effects of Arsenic
Arsenic can cause cancer, which means it is a carcinogen. Being exposed to large amounts of arsenic can have serious detrimental effects on human health. Some side effects can include nausea, cramping, muscle problems, and diarrhea. If someone is introduced to high amounts of arsenic while pregnant, there is even a chance for birth defects to occur.
The greater the amount of arsenic someone consumes and the longer the period of exposure, the worse symptoms can get. The most common ways someone can be exposed to arsenic are through water, food, or machinery.
How to Avoid Exposure
Eating a variety of foods can help avoid overconsuming inorganic arsenic. Arsenic is very harmful when a large amount is eaten, and therefore preventing eating too much of any one food will decrease your chances of being exposed to the toxins.
Additionally, make sure to wash any food that needs to be washed before being eaten. Some examples of this include washing rice before cooking it or thoroughly rinsing off fruits and vegetables before indulging. This will limit the amount of inorganic arsenic you could possible be eating.
