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Loading...Studies Find Arsenic in Apple Juice
Recent independent product safety tests commissioned by the the New York consumer advocacy group Empire State Consumer Project showed the level of arsenic in a sample of Mott’s brand apple juice to be more than five times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s legal limit for safe drinking water.
Arsenic, a naturally occurring element, has been used for centuries as a poison to kill animal pests — and humans. Many of the most notorious murderers in history, including the infamous Borgia family, used arsenic as a weapon of choice. Besides being poisonous to humans at high doses, arsenic is a known carcinogen. Chronic exposure to sub-poisonous levels of arsenic has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer, lung cancer and liver cancer. Arsenic has also been implicated as a developmental toxin; several animal studies have shown in-utero exposure to arsenic can increase the risk of birth defects in mammals.
As a natural substance, arsenic can be found naturally at very low levels in soil, plants and drinking water, and most people in the world are routinely exposed to minute amounts of this naturally-occurring arsenic without serious consequences. However, industrial pollution and repeated agricultural use of animal poisons and pesticides containing arsenic can cause water and soil to become contaminated with levels of arsenic well above the natural norm.
The EPA limits arsenic in drinking water to 10 parts per billion; the Empire State Consumer Project tests revealed one sample of Mott’s juice to contain 55 parts per billion of arsenic — well above the EPA’s “safe” level for water.
Edible plants grown in soil that has been previously contaminated with arsenic can absorb unusually high levels of the element. Food crops may also become contaminated with high levels of arsenic when directly sprayed with certain chemical pesticides. Arsenic contamination of fruits and vegetables is a particular problem in China, where many toxic pesticides that have been banned in the United States and Europe for environmental or public health reasons are still in common use.
And many U.S. distributors of apple sauce and apple juice — including some organic brands and many brands that are marketed directly to children — source some or all of their apples from Chinese orchards. Set to harvest 33 million tons of apples this year, China is the world’s largest apple producer and controls an estimated 80% of the world’s apple export market.
Read more: apple juice, apples, arsenic, china, environment, fda, food and water watch, food safety, real food
Photo of apple juice by Metoc, from Wikimedia Commons. Used under Creative Commons license. Photo of apple varieties by USDA, public domain.
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105 comments
+ add your ownThank you for the article
If we knew half of what we consumed on a daily basis we would we stop eating and drinking altogether. There has to be better regulation of toxins/pesticides/fertilizers, etc along with monitoring and enforcement by the powers set in place that claim to insure public safety. This can only happen when they not under the influence of big business.
Until we all STOP buying products that hurt all of us (especially are kids) nothing will change. We have to stop letting the drug companies and our government dictate our foods and vitamins and minerals. We are all trying to get healthier and the government and the drug companies are trying to take healthy choices away from us.
Let's stand together for our health on every issue!!!!
Obviously this is a government conspiracy as are so many unexplained coincidences. The government felt that no one would ever expose the truth about contaminants in apple juice, and therefore let the juicing industry carry this on for so long.
Imagine this: For decades we have been consuming countless gallons of processed juices, not just apple. Over time, people die with know apparent cause, or for some unexplained reason. Is there no link to what the government controls to the direct correlation with how things happen?
It is called POPULATION CONTROL! It's been going on for hundred's of years. And each time, the government mandated branch, FDA, EPA, etc seem to let these "small details" slip through the cracks.
It takes just one person to conduct an educated and valid experiment to expose the truth.
Will society listen? Probably not. Will we continue to consume the product? Probably will.
So it is up to us to get the government to do right by Americans!!!
Don't let America rob us of our health! We can do the best we can to take care of our bodies, but if chemicals are being added and not monitored, and we are not informed- who takes the blame!!!???
With my daughter, her pediatrician and my WIC nurse tell me to not give her more than 4 ounces of juice a day. If I give her more than that, then do 1 part juice to 2 parts water. Perhaps, this is because of the levels or arsenic found in juice?
frightening
Unbelievable & I encourage my grandchildren to drink it.Not any more Ill give them what the lions drink.Oh wait tap water has floride added to it in my city!!
scary.
Suzanne, with respect,
The FDA lies (the approve foods they KNOW are harmful)
The EPA lies (they licence, and approve toxins that they KNOW are detrimental to both our health, and the environment in general)
Monsanto lies (no explanation needed)*
Farmers lie (they tell buyers, and the beekeepers that pollinate their crops thatthey use nothing harmful, when, in fact, they DO)
Why wouldn't someone in a customer care call centre lie?? Who's to say this person even knows the truth??
The people at the top of companies like motts don't exactly pass their dirty trade secrets down the chain of command. the more people know, the more likely it is the truth leaks out.
Truth = loss of sales for a LOT of companies.
apple pips always naturaly contain a toxin right? like cherry pits?
hopefully China will be left with their toxic jucies and learn "nobody likes you, it's a good thing our version of Chinese food is not yours, it's not an insult"
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