This month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that over 9,500 cases of apple juice sold at Walmart shops across the US are being recalled because they contain too much “inorganic arsenic.”
Refresco Beverages U.S. Inc. made the juices, and the chain shop sold them.
The FDA says that the tainted items are “Great Value: brand 80z Apple Juice” bottles that came in six-packs.
The labels on the recalled drinks say “best if used by” December 28, 2024, and their UPC number is 0-78742-29655-5. The FDA said the recall became a “Class II” recall on August 23rd after it started on August 15.
Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia bought the juice at Walmart stores in these states.
“The FDA’s website defines a “Class II” recall as “a case in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause brief or medically reversible adverse health issues or where the likelihood of major adverse health consequences is rare.”
There were 13.2 parts per billion of arsenic in the tainted apple drinks. In June 2023, the FDA told the apple juice business that the highest amount of solid arsenic should be present in parts per billion.
Arsenic in food and drinking water can cause cancer and skin problems over time. Other links include heart disease and diabetes. “Exposure in utero and early childhood has been linked to problems with brain development and more deaths in young adults,” the WHO said.”The arsenic level in food, the age of the person eating it, the length, amount, and frequency of exposure to arsenic in the food, and other exposures happening at the same time—either to arsenic from other sources, other contaminants, or beneficial nutrients—all affect the possibility of long-term negative health effects,” the FDA said.
“The exposure can be especially dangerous for children,” the FDA said, and “is linked to bad brain effects such as learning issues, behavioral problems, and a lower IQ.”
“Long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic in adults has been linked to skin problems and higher risks for heart disease, bladder cancer, skin cancer, and lung cancer.”
They also said that short-term exposure to “very high amounts of inorganic arsenic” can cause a number of side effects, such as feeling sick, throwing up, getting bruises, and having “numbness or burning sensations” in your hands and feet.
