Breakfast drink sold at Walmart and Walgreens is being recalled due to cancer-causing metals
Health authorities have expanded the recall of apple juice sold in several popular stores over fears it is contaminated with cancer-causing metals.
On August 26, the FDA announced that 133,500 cases of apple juice made by Florida-based Refresco Beverages Inc. were being voluntarily recalled from store shelves. The cases may contain inorganic arsenic, a “highly toxic” compound normally found in contaminated water.
The affected products were sold in 26 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico at retailers Walmart, Walgreens, Aldi, Weis, Market Basket, BJ’s, Dollar General, Lidl US and Brooklyn Fare.
This is an expansion of a recall initiated on August 15, which affected 9,500 cases of Great Value apple juice from Walmart.
No cases of illness have been reported.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that several brands of apple juice, including Walmart’s Great Value, have been recalled due to arsenic
According to the FDA, the contaminated juices contained arsenic levels of 13.2 parts per billion.
Last year, the agency announced that the limit for inorganic arsenic in apple juice should be 10 parts per billion.
The original recall was classified as Class II, meaning that exposure to the product could cause temporary or medically reversible health problems.
No classification has yet been assigned to the recently recalled products.
However, inorganic arsenic, a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust and in places like water and soil, has been linked to serious health risks.
The substance is known as a carcinogen, meaning it is proven to cause cancer. The World Health Organization describes it as ‘highly toxic’.
Long-term exposure has been shown to lead to skin lesions, developmental disorders, diabetes, lung and heart diseases.
Signs of short-term exposure usually include nausea, vomiting, and numbness or burning in the hands or feet.
The recall comes after the FDA announced it will investigate several brands of tampons that may contain arsenic and other heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.