Tag: arsenic
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Federal Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Limit Arsenic, Lead in Fruit Juice
U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) have proposed legislation (H.R. 3984) that would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish standards for arsenic and lead in fruit juices within two years. Titled the “Arsenic Prevention and Protection from Lead Exposure in Juice Act of 2012,” or the “APPLE Juice…
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Putative Class Alleges Walgreens Beverages Contain High Levels of Lead and Arsenic
A California resident is seeking to certify a nationwide class in a lawsuit alleging that Walgreens Co. 100% Grape Juice and 100% Apple Juice contain “dangerously high levels” of lead and arsenic. Boysen v. Walgreen Co., No. 11-6262 (N.D. Cal., filed December 13, 2011). According to the complaint, the levels of lead and arsenic in…
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FDA Considers Stricter Guidelines for Arsenic in Apple Juice
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is evaluating current allowable levels of inorganic arsenic in apple juice in response to consumer groups’ demand for tighter restrictions. In a November 21, 2011, letter to Food & Water Watch and the Empire State Consumer Project, FDA said, “we are seriously considering setting guidance or other level for…
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FDA Refutes Arsenic Apple Juice Claims
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a consumer update reassuring the public about the safety of apple juice after a TV talk show claimed that certain brands contain high levels of arsenic. Mehmet Oz, who hosts “The Dr. Oz Show,” apparently sent 50 apple juices samples to EMSL Analytical, Inc., which measured total…
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Consumer Groups Urge FDA to Regulate Heavy Metals in Fruit Juice
Consumer advocacy organizations have written to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to report the results of tests conducted on apple juice, showing arsenic levels above federal tolerance levels for drinking water. The organizations, Food & Water Watch and the Empire State Consumer Project, urge FDA to “establish tolerance levels for arsenic in…
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Media Focuses on Neurodevelopmental Disorders Linked to Pesticides, Mercury
“Forty years before it was removed from paint, pediatricians had enough evidence of lead’s ability to maim children’s brains—catastrophically and irreversibly—to warrant discussion in a medical textbook,” opines Sandra Steingraber in the March/April 2011 edition of Orion Magazine, where she posits that not only is the developing brain more vulnerable than the adult brain to…
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Swedish Researchers Allegedly Find Arsenic in Baby Foods
A forthcoming study has allegedly identified “high levels” of arsenic in rice-based baby foods, as well as elevated levels of iron, molybdenum and manganese in infant formula. Karin Ljung, et al., “High concentrations of essential and toxic elements in infant formula and infant foods – A matter of concern,” Journal of Food Chemistry, August 2011. According…
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Lawmaker Proposes Trans Fat Labeling Revisions, “Poison-Free” Poultry Law
U.S. Representative Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) has introduced a bill (H.R. 1486) that would amend federal labeling laws concerning trans fat content in food. The Trans Fat Truth in Labeling Act of 2011 would “direct the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to revise the federal regulations applicable to the declaration of the trans fat content of…