Arsenic and Apple Juice
By Anna Ghosh
Today the most popular doctor on television, Dr. Mehmet Oz, reveals some shocking results about toxins in apple juice. Tipped off by a Food & Water Watch and Empire State Consumer Project media advisory calling on the FDA to hold juice to the same minimum standards as drinking water, the Dr. Oz Show asked our Assistant Director Patty Lovera to be on the show as an expert guest and write an article about how arsenic gets in our food supply and what we can do to get it out.
While food safety scares that originate here in the U.S. get a lot of media attention—like the two recent turkey recalls—consumers need to keep in mind that a large proportion of our food is being imported into our country, but less than 2 percent of it actually gets inspected.
Food imports, including apple juice, may be sickening consumers. Find out what you can do to change that by clicking on this photo.
It’s not just juice. Since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, U.S. food safety inspectors have been overwhelmed by the surging food imports from China, where environmental, food safety and labor laws are weaker, and regulatory oversight is lax. In 2009, 70 percent of apple juice, 43 percent of processed mushrooms, 22 percent of frozen spinach and 78 percent of tilapia Americans ate came from China. And there’s no indication that China’s food safety standards are improving. To learn more about the problem, read our recent report: A Decade of Dangerous Food Imports from China.
Unfortunately, food imports may be sickening consumers. Until we have a better system for inspecting imported food, the best way to protect ourselves is to buy food that’s grown and processed in the U.S. To find out where fresh, frozen and canned produce at the grocery store is coming from, check out the Global Grocer—a fun interactive tool that gives you interesting stats on items from a jar of pickles to frozen corn, to, yes, apple juice.
YOU CAN HELP!
Tell the FDA to set a limit for arsenic levels in juice and to step up inspections of imported foods!
Even though we found out the information we wanted and needed about the show, we unfortunately did not get to WATCH it here . Our local channel in New Orleans did not air the show. Even the listing was for it in the directv directory but it was another show.
I am not too surprised to think either the local network (WWL channel 4, a CBS affiliate) may had pulled it. Or maybe all of Louisiana’s stations may had . If I am wrong and maybe it just “didn’t show” for some technical reason then I am. But it was scheduled for today. I plan on filing a complaint to the local station. Thank you for the information you provided here and the petitions were signed.
hey i went to whole foods and looked at a organic braND and the juice was from argentina!! thank u
Arsenic is in the apple seeds…. if they crush them in the juicing process it will me in the juice.
someting has to be done about the arsenic in the apple juice we are giving our babies and children i have never been so outraged in my life and i can’t believe the FDA IS OK WITH THIS. I am taking a sack full of apple juice to target after work today. i want be buying anymore apple juie period ther end.
Veronica, Do your research. The test that Dr. OZ did was comparing Water amounts of arsenic to apple juice amounts. These levels are different based on the allowable amounts set by the FDA.
That being said, NOTHING is as it seems or should be that is set up by the goverment.
OMG, do you believe everything Oz says? Bad idea.
I have read so many articles about the blogger lovers but this article is really a good piece of writing,
keep it up.