Health officials have expanded a recall of apple juice sold at several popular stores over fears that it has been contaminated with cancer-causing metals.
On August 26, the FDA announced that 133,500 cases of apple juice produced by Florida-based Refresco Beverages Inc are being voluntarily pulled from shelves due to possibly containing inorganic arsenic, a ‘highly toxic’ compound usually found in contaminated water.
The affected products were sold in 26 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico at retailers Walmart, Walgreens, Aldi, Weis, Market Basket, BJ’s, Dollar General, Lidl US, and Brooklyn Fare.
This is an expansion of a recall initiated on August 15, which just included 9,500 cases of Walmart’s Great Value apple juice.
No illnesses have been reported.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that several brands of apple juice, including Walmart’s Great Value, have been recalled due to arsenic
The FDA said that affected juices had arsenic levels of 13.2 parts per billion.
Last year, the agency announced that the limit for inorganic arsenic should be 10 parts per billion in apple juice.
The initial recall was designated Class II, meaning exposure to the product could cause temporary or medically reversible health issues.
The newly recalled products have not been given a classification yet.
However, inorganic arsenic, a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust and places like water and soil, has been linked to severe health consequences.
The compound is a known carcinogen, meaning that it is proven to cause cancer, and the World Health Organization describes it as ‘highly toxic.’
Long-term exposure has been shown to lead to skin lesions, developmental defects, diabetes, lung and heart disease.
Signs of short-term exposure generally include nausea, vomiting, and numbness or burning in the hands or feet.
The recall comes after the FDA announced plans to investigate several brands of tampons that may contain arsenic and other heavy metals like lead and cadmium.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk