Senator Schumer Calls on the FDA to Put Standards in Place for Juice Companies

The Dr. Oz Show agrees with Sen. Schumer’s concerns that there needs to be clarity when it comes to arsenic in juice, because as the FDA has reported, juice imports from China have shown to have been high in arsenic.

In the statement, Sen. Schumer says, as Dr. Oz stated on his show that aired Sept. 14th, that the FDA’s “level of concern” for arsenic in juice is based on faulty assumptions about juice and water consumption. Juice makers claim that most people drink four ounces of juice a day – but if you’ve ever looked at a juice box, you’ll see that it contains 6.75 ounces of juice. And many children are drinking at least a box a day. Fruit juice is a primary source of calories for children under 18 years old, according to the US Dept. of Agriculture.

The EPA has set a limit on arsenic in drinking water at 10 parts per billion, total arsenic.

Is the maximum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion based on total arsenic or inorganic arsenic?
The MCL for arsenic in drinking water is based on total arsenic including both organic and inorganic forms.

The FDA has set an arsenic limit on bottled water at 10 parts per billion. It is not clear in this FDA web post whether this is total or inorganic arsenic.

What is the allowable level established by FDA for arsenic in bottled water?
The allowable level established by FDA for arsenic in bottled water is 10 micrograms (0.010 milligrams) per liter of water. (21 CFR 165.110(b)(4)(iii)(A)).

Click to read Senator Schumer's letter and statement.