Consumer Reports has criticized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final guidance on limits for inorganic arsenic in apple juice, citing concerns about the health risks to children.
The FDA issued its final guidance on June 1, setting the action level for inorganic arsenic in apple juice at 10 parts per billion (ppb), a level initially proposed in 2013.
The agency’s testing revealed a decrease in inorganic arsenic levels, with many samples showing levels below 3 ppb and 5 ppb. However, some apple juice samples still had levels at 10 ppb, leading to the establishment of the action level at that level.
Consumer Reports, a consumer advocacy organization, disagrees with the FDA’s belief that 10 ppb can be considered a safe level achievable through good manufacturing practices. The organization stressed the importance of lower limits on inorganic arsenic to protect public health, especially for foods consumed by children….