Tag: arsenic
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Codex Alimentarius Commission Adopts Standards for Lead in Baby Formula and Arsenic in Rice
Representatives of more than 170 countries, the European Union and governmental and non-governmental organizations convened in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 14-18, 2014, for the annual meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Delegates reportedly adopted a recommendation that no more than 0.01 mg/kg of lead be allowed in infant formula and that raw materials be sourced…
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EFSA Lowers Exposure Limits for Inorganic Arsenic
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has updated its analysis of the occurrence of arsenic in food in Europe, setting lower estimates of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic than the agency reported in 2009. The analysis includes nearly 3,000 data samples of inorganic arsenic, evidently more toxic than organic compounds, and EFSA reports that the…
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Prop. 65 60-Day Notices Cite Arsenic in Rice
The Consumer Advocacy Group, Inc. has filed a series of Proposition 65 (Prop. 65) 60-day notices since December 2013 against supermarkets and rice companies in California, Texas and Taiwan, alleging violations of the law for failure to warn consumers that their rice products contain arsenic (inorganic arsenic compounds), known to the state to “cause both…
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Center for Food Safety Asks FDA for Stronger Protections from Arsenic
In response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s request for comments on its “Draft Guidance for Industry on Arsenic in Apple Juice: Action Level,” the Center for Food Safety (CFS) has asked the agency to “limit the public’s exposure to arsenic through a new regulatory strategy that recognizes the prevalence of arsenic in the…
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FDA Extends Comment Deadline for Proposed Arsenic Action Level in Apple Juice
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended until November 12, 2013, the period for submission of comments, scientific data and other information related to its draft guidance titled “Arsenic in Apple Juice: Action Level.” Originally published in the July 15 Federal Register, the guidance proposes an action level of 10 parts per billion…
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FDA Reports Arsenic Levels in Rice Pose No Short-Term Risk
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that after testing 1,300 samples of rice and rice products for the presence of arsenic, the agency has determined that although the levels varied significantly depending on the product tested, the amount of detectable arsenic is “too low” to cause any “immediate or short-term adverse health…
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FDA Proposes Action Level for Inorganic Arsenic in Apple Juice
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed “an ‘action level’ of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in apple juice,” the same level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. According to a July 12, 2013, press release, FDA set this threshold based on its latest analysis of organic…
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House Lawmakers Seek Release of FDA Guidelines on Arsenic in Juice
U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), have written a letter to the Office of Management and Budget asking for the release of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) voluntary industry guidelines for levels of arsenic in fruit juices currently under review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Citing studies…