Dive Summary:
- Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate are calling for the White House Office of Management and Budget to release a long-delayed voluntary guidance by the FDA on limiting arsenic in juice products, arguing that the delay has a negative impact on public health.
- Consumer Reports and Dr. Oz ignited concern over the issues nearly two years ago after finding the carcinogen in popular children's fruit juice brands.
- Although testing conducted by the FDA, Consumer Reports, Dr. Oz and others has found levels of arsenic well above levels acceptable for drinking water, the FDA says it remains confident in the overall safety of apple juice due to the majority of products testing with "low amounts" of arsenic.
From the article:
... “I’m writing OMB to remind the agency that there are human costs to delay,” Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), chair of a key judiciary subcommittee, wrote in a letter sent to OMB last week. “Parents should not have to worry about whether the juice they give their child has arsenic in it, and workers should not have to risk contracting lung disease while on the job. Rules and guidelines that could prevent both of these problems have been moved from the back burner to the deep freeze at OMB.” ...
