Arsenic in Apple Juice

[Jetworks]

A few months ago Dr. Oz was basically crucified for conducting a study that showed high levels of inorganic arsenic contained in apple juice. The FDA was especially harsh. Now Consumer Reports has independently verified the results Dr. Oz found. The FDA's (predictable) response was one of "much ado about nothing, but we'll look into it".

Knowing what I do about inorganic forms of elements like mercury and arsenic, I don't see how this isn't a cause for concern, if not alarm.

Plenty of links to the story, this one was first on Google news:

[url]http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/30/consumer-reports-study-backs-dr-ozs-claim-about-arsenic-in-apple-juice/?test=latestnews[/url]

[frostlich]

Was wondering why this hasn't gotten more attention.

[JetPotato]

[QUOTE=frostlich;4259709]Was wondering why this hasn't gotten more attention.[/QUOTE]

Because only girly men watch Dr. Oz and drink apple juice.

[AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite]

We're giving ourselves cancer and other diseases...

It's quite obvious.

I love apple juice. I won't stop drinking it.

Because tomorrow it'll be something else.

And then something else.

[Warfish]

[QUOTE=JetPotato;4259800]Because only girly men watch Dr. Oz and drink apple juice.[/QUOTE]

I like apple juice.

[PlumberKhan]

[QUOTE=AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite;4259815]I love apple juice.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Warfish]I like apple juice.[/QUOTE]

That's because you guys don't have kids. Once you get apple juiced puked all over you...it sort of loses it's appeal :P

[bitonti]

this story begs a couple questions 1) how does this happen? 2) is it only certain brands? 3) how harmful is this to adults vs children?

[AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite]

[QUOTE=PlumberKhan;4259979]That's because you guys don't have kids. Once you get apple juiced puked all over you...it sort of loses it's appeal :P[/QUOTE]

You may have a point

[PlumberKhan]

[QUOTE=AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite;4260006]You may have a point[/QUOTE]

My son was addicted to apple juice. Morning, noon, night. That's ALL the kid would drink. If anyone would have arsenic poisoning from the stuff, it would be him.

Finally got the little booger to start drinking other juice now...I just lie and tell him that apples are different colors, so apple juice is also different colors. :D

[bitonti]

by the way this is one of those situations where increased gov't regulations/oversight are needed cause the free market is far from perfect.

[JetPotato]

[QUOTE=bitonti;4260026]by the way this is one of those situations where increased gov't regulations/oversight are needed cause the free market is far from perfect.[/QUOTE]

Wrong.

Education is what is needed. The FDA can make consumers aware of the levels and risks associated with arsenic in apple juice. And then consumers can make an informed decision in the free market.

If enough people decide its not worth the risk, then apple juice manufacturers will be forced to act to reduce arsenic levels. All the while, no one's freedoms are infringed upon and the economy isn't artificially manipulated.

[bitonti]

[QUOTE=JetPotato;4260082]Wrong.

Education is what is needed. The FDA can make consumers aware of the levels and risks associated with arsenic in apple juice. And then consumers can make an informed decision in the free market.

If enough people decide its not worth the risk, then apple juice manufacturers will be forced to act to reduce arsenic levels. [B]All the while, no one's freedoms are infringed upon [/B]and the economy isn't artificially manipulated.[/QUOTE]

That's a terrible plan.

Freedoms infringed? What freedoms, the freedom to poison children? or the freedom to drink poison?

If consumers' children are poisoned, it's a little late for education.

[Trades]

[QUOTE=bitonti;4260093]That's a terrible plan.

Freedoms infringed? What freedoms, the freedom to poison children? or the freedom to drink poison?

If consumers' children are poisoned, it's a little late for education.[/QUOTE]

From the charts of data it looks like the vast majority are well under the limit or have ND meaning no arsnic detected. The government (FDA) did no alert us to the presence of higher arsnic in some samples yet the free market, Dr. Oz and Consumer Reports, did. 8 out of 70 samples had arsnic higher than the mandated 24ppb and yes that is parts per BILLION. a couple of those 8 were 25ppb. So you have a very good chance ~90% to get Apple Juice containing less than 24ppb. Panic over nothing IMO.

[JetPotato]

The bitoni apple juice plan:

*Implement massive regulation on apple juice
*As a result, production of apple juice cost triples
*Cost of new "safer" apple juice also triples on store shelves
*Apple juice sales plummet
*Mott's lays off 20,000 American workers
*Small apple farmers who supply Mott's are shut down
*Congressen from New York, Washington state, Vermont and California introduce pork bills that include subsidies to apple farms
*Liberals, citing man's right to apple juice, as it was once a healthy, low cost beverage most American children consumed, demand a tax on the rich to supply free apple juice to the poor.

[2foolish197]

[QUOTE=bitonti;4260026]by the way this is one of those situations where increased gov't regulations/oversight are needed cause the free market is far from perfect.[/QUOTE]...the free market(dr oz) found the problem...

[Jetworks]

[QUOTE=Trades;4260108]From the charts of data it looks like the vast majority are well under the limit or have ND meaning no arsnic detected. The government (FDA) did no alert us to the presence of higher arsnic in some samples yet the free market, Dr. Oz and Consumer Reports, did. 8 out of 70 samples had arsnic higher than the mandated 24ppb and yes that is parts per BILLION. a couple of those 8 were 25ppb. So you have a very good chance ~90% to get Apple Juice containing less than 24ppb. [B]Panic over nothing IMO.[/B][/QUOTE]

Couldn't disagree more. That's a pretty high chance for exposure to a known carcinogen, one that is bypassing all the body's outer defenses by being ingested, isn't easily voided by the body and is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. There is also a working theory that lead arsenate which was used on (and still is, also the likeliest source of inorganic arsenic exposure) some fruit crops may have been responsible for the polio "hotspots" at the turn of last century.

As for inorganic arsenic:

Toxicological Characteristics

- Inorganic arsenical compounds have been classified as Class A
oncogens, demonstrating positive oncogenic effects based on sufficient
human epidemiological evidence.
- Inorganic arsenicals have been assayed for mutagenic activity in a
variety of test systems ranging from bacterial cells to peripheral
lymphocytes from humans exposed to arsenic. The weight of evidence
indicates that inorganic arsenical compounds are mutagenic.
- Evidence exists indicating that there is teratogenic and fetotoxic
potential based on intravenous and intraperitoneal routes of exposure;
however, evidence by the oral route is insufficient to confirm lead
arsenate's teratogenic and fetotoxic effects.
- Inorganic arsenicals are known to be acutely toxic. The symptoms which
follow oral exposure include severe gastrointestinal damage resulting
in vomiting and diarrhea, and general vascular collapse leading to
shock, coma and death. Muscular cramps, facial edema, and cardio-
vascular reactions are also known to occur following oral exposure to
arsenic.

Pretty nasty stuff.

And Bit, the FDA has already proven time and again they are incapable of taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the public it is tasked with protecting. Just reading their statements after the initial study is damning enough. Their subsequent "we'll look into this" response doesn't exactly inspire confidence. So more government isn't the answer, imo.

If problems (and make no mistake, this is a problem) like this are to be fixed, I would say it needs to go beyond education, because as we see the FDA isn't in itself educated enough to help us. Naturally the companies with a stake in anything like this also hold a huge conflict of interest, so they cannot be relied upon either. The only real (partial) solution is to refine or eliminate lobbyism. That would cut down on the "lawful" malfeasance we see between government and industry now. Which, we know, isn't going to happen.

We.

Are.

Doomed.

[Trades]

[QUOTE=2foolish197;4260125]...the free market(dr oz) found the problem...[/QUOTE]

If it is even a real problem. In reading the article and the tables linked there it isn't like most or even half of the juice tested shows high rates of arsnic. As a matter of fact MOST of them showed ND or Not Detected.

Here is the letter from the FDA to Dr. Oz and I don't see how any more regulation or oversight would have done anything considering the FDA is testing for these contaminants and they are not seeing the same results Dr. Oz did.

[QUOTE]
[B]Letters from the FDA to the Dr. Oz Show Regarding Apple Juice and Arsenic[/B]

The Food and Drug Administration has monitored fruit juices, including apple juice, for elevated levels of arsenic for several years as part of its annual Total Diet Study and its toxic elements in foods program. When the Dr. Oz Show gave the FDA information suggesting that apple juice samples it had tested showed results as high as 36 parts per billion (ppb) of total arsenic, [B]the FDA obtained its own samples of apple juice—including a sample of the same lot of apple juice purportedly containing 36 ppb—for analysis. T[/B]he FDA’s test results do not support the findings of the Dr. Oz Show, and,[B] in fact, are significantly less (2 to 6 ppb) than the levels found by the television program’s analysis[/B]. Moreover, the [B]vast majority of apple juice samples tested by the FDA over that past 20 years show that apple juice typically contains less than 10 ppb total arsenic. [/B]The FDA is committed to protecting the nation’s public health through programs such as its toxic elements in food monitoring efforts and by providing consumers with scientifically credible information.

Here are the two letters the FDA sent to the producers of the Dr. Oz Show that present the results of our findings, explain the limitations of the testing done by the lab used by the Dr. Oz Show, and state that it would be irresponsible and misleading to suggest that apple juice contains unsafe amounts of arsenic based on tests for total arsenic.
[/QUOTE]

[PlumberKhan]

[QUOTE=2foolish197;4260125]...a Turkish Muslim whose family believes in Sharia Law(dr oz) found the problem...[/QUOTE]

:eek:

[JumbalayaJet]

I would trust the FDA's assay lab over whatever Dr Oz claims to have. With the former's results you'd have to drink alot of AJ to have to worry.

[AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite]

[QUOTE=PlumberKhan;4260017]My son was addicted to apple juice. Morning, noon, night. That's ALL the kid would drink. If anyone would have arsenic poisoning from the stuff, it would be him.

Finally got the little booger to start drinking other juice now...I just lie and tell him that apples are different colors, so apple juice is also different colors. :D[/QUOTE]

That kids gonna find out Santa isn't real before he realizes he's been conned into drinking stuff that reduces UTI's and helps you pass a d rug test.

[QUOTE=JetPotato;4260124]The bitoni apple juice plan:

*Implement massive regulation on apple juice
*As a result, production of apple juice cost triples
*Cost of new "safer" apple juice also triples on store shelves
*Apple juice sales plummet
*Mott's lays off 20,000 American workers
*Small apple farmers who supply Mott's are shut down
*Congressen from New York, Washington state, Vermont and California introduce pork bills that include subsidies to apple farms
*Liberals, citing man's right to apple juice, as it was once a healthy, low cost beverage most American children consumed, demand a tax on the rich to supply free apple juice to the poor.[/QUOTE]

That is fargin' hilarious. :D