What's Going on with Arsenic in Apple and Grape Juice

The article was in the most recent issue of Consumer Reports.

Usually I take these alarmist things with a grain of salt, but I tend to take Consumer Reports more seriously. One of the brands of apple juice with higher arsenic levels was in my refrigerator. I tossed it. I was already mixing my son's juice with water before I read the article. Now I'm really limiting the amount of juice he can have each day. Probably better for his teeth anyway!

oh my!!! it's funny how the media controls our lives....the media got a hold of a report from a testing lab....

arsenic is a NATURALLY occurring chemical in MANY fruits, apples, grapes, etc...please stop buying into the panic they are trying to induce...yes, your doctor told you to limit it - it is called MODERATION - EVERYTHING in moderation....the tests that labs conduct are EXTREME - just picture this....a rat getting 100 ounces if not more of apple juice a day...it dies or arsenic poisoning...yeah dah....of course it will. It is how small compared to us and getting 10x more than we consume...

There were probably 20 posts on this over the last 45 days....you can search it "arsenic in juice" and you should get a lot of hits.

Fruit juice is good for your child - you can get all natural fruit juice - but like with anything else - MODERATION...

My first suggestion is to do what you are doing here and get educated on your own. The media is all about getting us fired up and God knows what else their motives might be. A perfect example is the whole deal on Cantaloupes having listeria. Indeed they had listeria, and indeed 16 people died. Extremely tragic! The media was sure to pinpoint the farm that produced the cantaloupe but never bothered to follow up on the final outcome of the whole situation. Basically, the farm was ordered to destroy all its crops and shut down this year only to find out that the listeria came from the truck that transported it. The TRUCKING company did not properly clean its trailer after hauling animals therefore leaving the listeria behind for the cantaloupe to pick up. The farm was not at fault at all yet took the entire hit for it and probably for years to come.

So back to the apple and berry thing. We are all very naive in how we look at food and what is in it. Arsenic is in a ton of what we eat (naturally and from pesticides) and I agree with Cheryl we need to take everything in moderation. The most ironic part to this is that #2 on the list of poisons next to arsenic is flouride and we do not even bat an eye when we give to our children water (even most bottled), brush our teeth, shower, or even eat fresh foods all which contain fluoride. The worst part is a lot of it is not even naturally occurring, companies actually purchase it from industry (not naturally occurring) and dump it in our water. Figure that one out. We will probably not hear about this in the media as it could potentially discredit the dental industry that has been promoting it.

In short, whatever you hear in the media learn for yourself what is going on. The stories are very slanted and only reliable for a portion of the full story. If you want to find out more on the foods we eat and what is most healthy for us, check out a documentary done by a 16 year old, home-schooled kid called "The Beautiful Truth". Keep in mind, again this is only one side of a larger story but truly a side we miss out on a lot.

Good luck!

You're a day late and a dollar short, there were multiple posts on this about a month ago. There are minuscule, non threatening trace levels per billions. Arsenic is naturally occurring in some fruits, that's all ;)

No, you don't have to stop giving it to your kiddos. Really, it's all media hype!

I agree with Tiffany. I know for a fact that lots of things have Arsenic in them. I also know that in low levels it is helpful as it is also a cancer fighting - very helpful ingredient in naturally occurring fruit. It contains B vitamins which are not found in other foods. I actually eat apricot kernels for the B17 and to help keep the tumor I have in my liver and lungs from developing into cancer. Arsenic is in the soil and water etc. Just like formaldehyde... it is naturally occurring also. It only becomes toxic in high doses and it if it is chemically created. The media and other competing companies want to start FEAR based rumors to start a wide spread boycott of products. It is helpful to read and educate yourself on some rumors so that you will be informed when these scares start up. Apples are very very nutritious and great source of fiber. Anything in mass quantities can be harmful... Such as too much apple juice can cause sugar issues. Too much wheat ( which is in everything) can cause gluten intolerance. Moderation is the key.

just don't overdose on juices! & really, is our water any better? :)

Go with organic fruits and veggies and press your own juice if you are concerned about chemicals. For what it is worth, Arsenic is a NATURALLY occurring chemical in nature. Where we buy our produce from (country) also makes a difference. I stick with USA and Canada whenever possible. Cutting out all stuff is extreme, revamp what you buy and how you process it.

ditto Rachel D.

This is a great way for the media to instill fear into new parents and for the companies who market these things to raise prices so that the parents who fear will spend more money.

You go have your hands checked at the lab and you will have minute traces of arsenic on your hands.... It is everywhere.

The key is moderation. You children might get sick if they drink multiple gallons of juice a day or simply inject themselves with arsenic.

Same goes for plastic.. we are in the plastic business, raw materials and manufacturing. it is plain silly about the BPA. Again, yes you'l get sick if you injected yourself with it daily but the traces in everyday products are not huge.

Media hype to instill fear and raise prices is the motive here....

Moderation.... and if it was so bad, there would not be so many people alove today because we all drank juice growing up and still do.

Arsenic is naturally occurring in apple and grape seeds. You can dilute or avoid the juice if you are extremely concerned, but avoiding the fruit themselves isn't a need unless you also eat the apple seeds. Really, the high sugar content in juices and other garbage in processed foods is a bigger concern than the arsenic level in juice.

for goodness sakes dont avoid the fruits! your child needs them in their diet i heard about the apple juice but hadnt heard about the grape juice. i looked it up on line a few weeks back and their was only 4 brands that had dangerous levels in it even water has arsenic in it and you cant stop giving them that do some research and then make your decision