Consumer Reports tests juices for arsenic and lead

[No Elephants]

Source: Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports tests juices for arsenic and lead
Nov 30, 2011 6:00 AMNov 30, 2011 6:00 AM

Findings of a Consumer Reports investigation about arsenic and lead levels in apple juice and grape juice have prompted the organization to call for government standards to limit consumers’ exposure to these toxins.

The tests of 88 samples of apple juice and grape juice purchased in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut by Consumer Reports staffers found that 10 percent of those samples had total arsenic levels exceeding federal drinking-water standards of 10 parts per billion (ppb) and 25 percent had lead levels higher than the 5 ppb limit for bottled water set by the Food and Drug Administration. Most of the arsenic detected in our tests was the type called inorganic, which is a human carcinogen.

The investigation included an analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database from 2003 to 2008. The results of that analysis suggest that these juices may be an important contributor to dietary arsenic exposure. Through interviews with physicians and authors of peer-reviewed studies, Consumer Reports also found mounting scientific evidence suggesting that chronic exposure to arsenic and lead even at levels below federal standards for water can result in serious health problems, especially for those who are exposed in the womb or during early childhood. FDA data and other research reveal that arsenic has been detected at disturbing levels in other foods as well.

While federal limits exist for arsenic and lead levels in bottled and drinking water, no limits are defined for fruit juices, which a recent Consumer Reports’ poll of parents confirms are a mainstay of many children’s diets. The FDA says when a fruit juice sample has 23 ppb or more of total arsenic, it will retest the sample to determine how much of it is inorganic, because according to the agency’s 2008 hazard assessment, 23 ppb of inorganic arsenic would represent a potential health risk. But that 23 ppb “level of concern” is not a mandatory limit, nor is it based on arsenic’s well-established cancer risks.

Read more: http://news.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/11/consumer-reports-tests-juices-for-arsenic-and-lead.html

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As you may recall, Dr. Mehmet Oz claimed that apple juice contained lead.

The United States Food and Drug Administration, whose only (legal) source of support is taxpayer dollars and whose job it is to protect Americans, hastened to reassure the public.

The FDA claimed that there are standards for apple juice. There are not.

The FDA claimed that the only arsenic in apple juice was the non-harmful kind. That was not true, either.

The FDA also published its own findings online--except for the 8 that supported Dr. Oz's claim, which the FDA conveniently omitted from the online posting.

Drink up, babies and toddlers! (Yeah, yeah, I know. They shouldn't be drinking that much juice anyway, because of calories and cavities.)

[no_hypocrisy]

1. What's the source of the arsenic?

Is it in the ground, absorbed in the roots or is it the topical application of pesticides?

[formercia]

4. Probably Lead Arsenate

It was used in the past as a pesticide in orchards. Since it doesn't degrade, the soil in old orchards is likely contaminated from repeated applications and gets into the juice from dust and particulate matter attached to the Apples.

[snagglepuss]

7. Most apple juice sold in North America is from China. I don't have the figure but

it can be googled so it is not a stretch to assume country of origin is the reason for these readings. The Chinese don't give a crap about food safety.

[CreekDog]

12. couldn't it simply be the water supply?

all this stuff is from concentrate and if the water supply isn't that great, those numbers wouldn't be all that surprising.

[CottonBear]

2. My child's pediatrician says NO juice until age 5 and then only 6 oz diluted/day.

His biggest concern, even with all natural and organic juices, is the high sugar content, which tends to cause tooth decay especially when children drink the juice from sippy cups and bottles all day and at bedtime. My big concern, besides the sugar, is the chemicals. My child drinks only filtered water and milk.

The doctor said my child can get all the nutrition of juice from whole fruit. I feed my child only organic fruit to avoid chemicals and other contaminants. I feed my child organic food (as much locally grown as possible) and avoid plastic food/drink containers with BPA.
I try to use glass storage containers. I never microwave his food either.

Birth to age 3 is the most critical time to avoid chemicals and contaminants which can negatively affect brain and body development.

I realize that many people can not afford organic foods. However, eliminating juice from a young child's diet is an easy thing to do.

[kcass1954]

10. I have issues with triglycerides. My doctor doesn't want me drinking juice

because of the sugar content. Whole fruit is fine because of the fiber it provides, so I eat a piece or two every day. I haven't had a glass of juice in several years, and don't miss it at all.

Good for you for doing better things for your child. I wish I'd known some of this when my kids were small.

[CottonBear]

13. Thank you for the triglycerides information. My family eats whole fruit & we really like it.

My friends and relatives do not understand our no juice policy but I know I am doing the right thing for my child.

I did not know about the juice issue until I had a child. I drank a lot of juice as a child growing up in the 1960s and 1970s.

Best wishes for good health for you! :) Eating whole foods is definitely a good thing.

[Divernan]

3. If we had a Democratic pres., the FDA would be honest with us! Oh, wait . . .

If this had happened under Bush, there would not be a single rationalization/defense of the president on this topic. So I am curious to see how this thread plays out.

FACT: In 2009, Obama garnered much favorable publicity from promising a crackdown on FDA oversight.

As he announced a new head of the Food and Drug Administration today, President Barack Obama laid out plans for an extensive overhaul of the agency, including a billion-dollar investment to keep tainted peanut butter and tomatoes out of the food supply and to protect patients from contaminated medications like the blood thinner heparin.

"Food safety is something I take seriously, not just as your president, but as a parent," Obama said in his weekly video address. "When I heard peanut products were being contaminated earlier this year, I immediately thought of my 7-year-old daughter, Sasha, who has peanut butter sandwiches for lunch probably three times a week. No parent should have to worry that their child is going to get sick from their lunch, just as no family should have to worry that the medicines they buy will cause them harm."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=7059201&page=1#.TtYoa3pz9p4

FACT: In August, 2011, Obama appointed Monsanto's chief lobbyist as special adviser/"food czar" to the FDA:

"Michael Taylor was just appointed senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA. This is the same man that was in charge of FDA policy when GMO's were allowed into the US food supply without undergoing a single test to determine their safety. He "had been Monsanto's attorney before becoming policy chief at the FDA he became Monsanto's Vice President and chief lobbyist. This month became the senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA. He is now America's food safety czar. This is no joke".'
http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/52314-obama-appoints-monsantos-vp-as-senior-advisor-to-the-commissioner-fda
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's perfectly clear that when there are campaign funds to be raised, Big Pharma and Big Agra/Food Processors are in charge at the FDA.

[ananda]

5. I still haven't forgiven Consumer Reports for the online subscripton scam...

... they pulled. I had to change my cc number because of it.

[greiner3]

9. Please give information on media that has reported this 'scam.'

I cannot find out any information on your claim. There is one site, ConsumerAffairs.com that has a skew of 'first hand' reports of how they hate Consumers Union. However, as to an actual scam I cannot find any media that has reported this 'Late Breaking News.'

I have found over the years that people who hate Consumers Reports are the ones against unions, Democrats in general and hate puppies. Consumers Union does NOT accept ANY advertising. This leads to trolls who give advice that their personal travails with Consumers Reports has been their worst nightmare and that the entire organization should be taken out back and shot.

Follow the money.

[CreekDog]

11. And this has what to do with the news story above?

:shrug:

(also a CR-online subscriber)

[dballance]

6. So much for juice being a healthy alternative to soda /eom

[snagglepuss]

8. Actually it has been fruit juice companies that have been promoting that belief.

Soda isn't healthy but heavy juice consumption isn't healthy either in fact it is dangerous. Fruit sugar (fructose) is not benign. The following well documented article is about the health reprecussions of just regular fructose not high fructose corn syrup.


snip

Fructose...worsens the lipid profile in the bloodstream.

snip

...the hormonal response to dietary fructose differs from the response to other simple sugars... fructose does not stimulate the "stop eating" signal as readily as other carbs, then, it's possible that people will consume more calories before they feel full.

snip

Starting in late 2005, nephrologists at the University of Florida began reporting that fructose led to elevations in uric acid (Nakagawa T, et al. 2005) (Nakagawa T, et al. 2006). Elevations in uric acid can lead to kidney stones. But, these researchers found that high uric acid levels reduced nitric oxide levels, and this, in turn, contributes to insulin resistance and a serious medical condition known as "metabolic syndrome."

Then, in 2007, the Florida nephrologists reported that fructose -- but not glucose -- accelerated the progression of kidney disease (Gersch MS, et al. 2007). However, up to this point, all of this research was conducted in rats.

In January 2008, researchers from Harvard reported that the incidence of kidney stones in both men and women was related to fructose consumption (Taylor EN, et al. 2008).

Translation?: Fructose has detrimental effects on kidney function, which, in turn, can lead to other health problems.

http://www.athleteinme.com/ArticleView.aspx?id=1430

[crim son]

14. Interesting.

I didn't know any of this when my kids were young but it struck me as obvious that more than a few ounces of fruit juice a day wasn't a nutritionally sound idea and my kids drank plain water between meals, and diluted juice as a treat. Real fruit is the way to go!