Bill Aims for Arsenic, Lead Standards in Juice

Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) have introducted a bill to curb the amounts of arsenic and lead allowed in U.S. juice products. The “Arsenic Prevention and Protection from Lead Exposure in Juice Act of 2012” (“APPLE Juice Act of 2012”) would give FDA tow years to decide upon maximum allowance for the two compounds in juice.

Concern over arsenic and lead in juice came to attention in late 2011, after the TV personality Dr. Oz publicly announced the results of tests he commissioned on three dozen juice products, which found some of those products to contain arsenic at levels higher than what is allowed for U.S. drinking water.

Shortly thereafter, consumer watchdog Consumer Reports tested 88 samples of apple juice and grape juice. About 10% of those juice products (from 5 brands) was found to contain levels of arsenic and lead that exceeded drinking water standards (10 parts per billion and 5 parts per billion respectively). Consumer Reports says most of the detected arsenic was inorganic and not to be confused with organic arsenic that is naturally present in some fruit juices.