Wow. Just when we thought we were safe to feed our children good ol’ apple & grape juice…
Along comes a frightening new report showing levels of arsenic and lead are above the “safe limits” (read: there are no safe limits!) in common brands of apple and grape juice. Surprisingly, organic juices were no better.
Arsenic levels ranged from 1.1 ppb (parts per billion) to 13.9 ppb in apple juice, and those in grape juice were higher still: from 5.9-24.7 ppb. Lead was found to be 13.6 and 15.9 ppb in the most offending apple and grape juices, respectively. The government lacks standards on what are considered safe levels of arsenic and lead in apple and grape juice, but to put the above numbers in perspective, in bottled drinking water, the upper safe limit for arsenic is 10 ppb.
It makes you want to avoid fruit juice altogether – something I’m definitely for. Juice can be a great treat (once in a while), but it lacks the fiber that the whole fruit provides. Grab an apple, pear or handful of grapes instead, and try to get away from feeding your kids juice.
Time Magazine has a good write-up on the full story here.
To view the Consumer Report and find out which brands contained arsenic and lead, click here.
