Dive Summary:
- The Food and Drug Administration has responded to pressure from consumer groups and agreed on a new rule that would see apple juice taken off the market when its arsenic content eclipses 10 parts per billion. (Since 2008, the level triggering concern was set at 23 parts per billion.)
- FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told The Associated Press that the U.S. apple juice supply is "very safe," but that the FDA moved forward with the new rule "to give guidance to industry and to assure ongoing safety and quality."
- Consumers Union lobbied to get standards lowered to as little as 3 parts per billion, but the group praised the new FDA decision as "an important precedent."
From the article:
... While the Environmental Protection Agency sets arsenic limits for drinking water, there have never been similar standards for most foods and beverages. The FDA is also considering new limits on arsenic in rice, which is thought to have higher levels than most foods because it is grown in water on the ground, optimal conditions for absorbing the contaminant. ...