FDA found arsenic and other toxins in the apple juice coming from plant in Yakima Valley. The apple juice samples revealed levels of inorganic arsenic that were eight times higher than the limit set by the governmental agency.

The sample contained arsenic as much as 88.1 parts per billion, while the FDA recommendation is only ten parts per billion.

Arsenic and Old Pesticides

Even if arsenic is a natural component that can be found in air and the water, in high quantities or at repeated exposures it can produce maximum damage.

Inorganic arsenic can provoke risks of cancer, diabetes, skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, developmental effects, or neurotoxicity.

Food safety specialists say that it is possible that the arsenic was sourced from apples coming from an old orchard. The arsenic traces are linked to the use of pesticides several years ago.

The toxic substance does not degrade over time. Therefore, if it had been utilized in the orchid years ago, the substance could have been trapped in the soil and afterward transmitted to the apple trees.

Even so, food specialists say that it is the full responsibility of the facility to control the quality of raw materials and to perform analysis to make sure that the products are perfectly safe.

Experts recommend the manufacturer to test all incoming apples from each of their suppliers in order to verify which one of them is the inorganic arsenic source.

The factory officials declared that the facility operates in compliance with all rules and regulations.

Apple Mold and Patulin

FDA reported that the manufacturer had stored apples outdoors for several months, which encourages mold cultures and affects the fruits’ quality.

The apple mold produces a toxin called patulin that is genotoxic. Patulin was considered to be a group 3 carcinogen, and it can determine symptoms such as gastrointestinal problems, pulmonary congestion, edema or convulsions.

The tolerable daily intake of patulin was set to 0.3 mg/kg per week, and FDA inspects food units to verify if the manufacturers don’t engage in practices that may increase the toxin’s level in their final products.

The findings of the inspection show violations of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulations. Children can be more affected by the toxins than adults.

Until now, the Yakima Valley production unit tried to blend batches of juices to dilute the toxins. However, FDA warns that this measure may not be the best way to remove the risks.

In 2013, FDA imposed a new rule for producers imposing that the arsenic level in apple juice should be just as small as the one that can be found in water.

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