Juice Products Association: Juice Is Safe

WASHINGTON — Amidst reports of arsenic and lead in juice, the Juice Products Association contends that juice is safe for consumers of all ages. 

“Safety and quality have always been and will continue to be the top priorities for U.S. juice producers,” said JPA in a press statement.

The announcement came in response to a Consumer Reports analysis that found arsenic levels exceeding federal drinking water standards in 10% of 88 samples of apple and grape juice. One in four juices had levels higher than the limit for bottled water set by the Food and Drug Administration, according to Consumer Reports.  

While federal limits exist for arsenic and lead in bottled and drinking water, none are defined for fruit juices. The FDA has, however, set a specific “level of concern” for the carcinogen, inorganic arsenic, at 23 parts per billion in apple juice, and a recommended maximum level for lead in fruit juice at 50 ppb. Though most of the arsenic detected in the Consumer Reports tests was inorganic, none exceeded 23 ppb.

But Consumer Reports believes that the FDA’s “level of concern” is an inadequate reference point for establishing a protective limit for public health since it isn’t a mandatory limit or based on cancer risk.

In response, the FDA is expanding its surveillance activity and collecting additional data to determine if a guidance level can be established to reduce consumer exposure to arsenic in apple juice. “We welcome the research that Consumer Reports has undertaken and look forward to reviewing the data that formed the basis for their story and their recommendations,” said the FDA in a statement.