High Arsenic Levels In Apple Juice, Grape Juice Samples, Consumer Reports Finds

High Arsenic Levels In Fruit Juices, New Study Says

Arsenic levels in some apple juice and grape juice samples tested higher than what's considered safe, according to a study by Consumer Reports.

The study found that 10 percent of the sampled juices contained arsenic levels higher than the 10 parts per billion regulation for drinking water set by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a FOX News analysis of the results. Researchers measured 88 samples of apple and grape juices from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

A majority of the arsenic found in the samples was the inorganic or "harmful" kind.

Several apple juice brands had at least one sample with harmful arsenic levels, including Apple & Eve, Walmart's Great Value, and Mott's. Walgreens brand and Welch's grape juices both contained more than the standard amount, according to Consumer Reports.

The concern lies in the harmful, chronic effects that high arsenic levels can have on younger children, many of whom already drink more juice than is recommended by doctors.

"The fear is that over time arsenic will accumulate in children's bodies and raise their risk of cancer and other serious illnesses," Dr. Urvashi Rangan told NBC's "Today."

Dr. Mehmet Oz came under fire from the FDA in September after he aired results of a similar study on his show. The FDA pointed out that Oz did not differentiate between organic (good) and inorganic (bad) arsenic, according to MSNBC.

In a recent letter, the FDA said it would consider adding guidelines for "an appropriate level" for inorganic arsenic in apple juice, but stopped short of setting a firm "tolerance level," by saying that setting such levels "requires formal rulemaking and is a lengthy process" and that "tolerance levels are difficult to change in the future, in the event that our scientific understanding of an issue changes."

For more details on the report, visit the Consumer Reports website.

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