Yesterday, watching the great and wonderful Oz, (Dr. Oz, that is) I became aware of the connection between apple juice and arsenic. This morning, the controversy is all over the national news. Everyone who buys apple juice (in particular juice boxes) needs to be aware of the possibility that there may be too much arsenic in those little boxes that you are giving your children (I know I certainly did!) in their lunch boxes every day. After becoming aware of the fact that apple juice concentrate is more often than not, coming from places other than the USA, Dr. Oz decided to test random samples of several different, most popular brands, such as Motts, Juicy Juicy and Apple and Eve. Sadly, many of them contained levels of arsenic that would be deemed unhealthy in other fluids such as water or pear juice. When the good doc approached the FDA, they would not appear on the show, nor would any of the big companies listed above. This morning, the news reported that the FDA sent them a statement saying that there are two types of arsenic, organic and inorganic and that the juice is safe and Dr. Oz is spreading mis-information.
HUH? When I look up the definition of arsenic, it’s always the same. Arsenic=poison. Parents need to check the juice boxes and know that there are often two countries of origin listed. While the package might boldly claim to be from the USA check and see if there isn’t another source listed…it’s where the apples actually come from, where arsenic is already in the water (there is always trace amounts in water) and pesticides are freely used, which contain still more arsenic. The combination makes for unsafe levels and the FDA is NOT monitoring these. Ironically, they set a limit for arsenic in pear juice years ago, so why is this any different?
My kids grew up on sip-ups and I am not overly fearful they have been poisoned. You shouldn’t be either. I am sure there are trace amounts of unhealthy stuff in even the healthiest of foods. It is worth doing your homework, though, because we all have a right to know what we and our loved ones are REALLY eating and drinking.
This was a bit off topic for Vegan Feast Thursday, but apples are one of those products that connect us. Vegan or not, we all love a good apple. Maybe organic is the way to go on this one….
Wishing you all a safe and happy day.
Related articles
- Arsenic in apple juice? Dr. Oz and FDA square off (ctv.ca)
- Does apple juice have unsafe levels of arsenic? (boston.com)
