JUICE PRODUCT SAFETY
Recent media reports have brought into question the safety of juice products, particularly apple juice, manufactured in the United States. Clients producing juice products and clients using juice products as ingredients may need to respond to customer concerns. Having the facts at hand may help address potential customer safety questions.
The FDA states that arsenic is a naturally occurring substance ubiquitously present in the environment. It source may be from naturally occurring substance or as a result of contamination from human activity. It is found in water, air, food, and soil. There are two types of arsenic: organic and inorganic. The inorganic forms of arsenic are the harmful forms, while the organic forms of arsenic are essentially harmless. Because both forms of arsenic have been found in soil and ground water, small amounts may be found in certain food and beverage products, including fruit juices and juice concentrates.
The arsenic testing methods prescribed by the FDA for fruit juices are very specific and differ significantly for those used for testing water. Juice contains higher levels of organic and inorganic materials, requiring more refined arsenic testing methodology. Consequently, the test results reported by the Dr. Oz Show were erroneous as they were based upon a method intended for testing water.
The FDA tests juice samples for total (organic and inorganic) arsenic. If arsenic levels are high, the agency then re-tests samples for its inorganic arsenic content, the type of arsenic considered harmful to humans.
To date, FDA has been tracking total arsenic contamination in apple and other juices through its Toxic Elements program since 2005 and as part of the FDA Total Diet Study program for the presence of arsenic since 1991. FDA monitoring has found that total arsenic levels in apple juice are typically low. FDA considers the general consumption of fruit juices, including apple juice, to be safe. For additional information on juice safety responses visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm271595.htm.
