Walmart is recalling nearly 10,000 cases of its Great Value Brand apple juice in Georgia and 24 other states due to high levels of inorganic arsenic — a toxic metal that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain — found in them.
The Great Value apple juice, found in six-packs of 8-ounce bottles, contained inorganic arsenic at levels of 13.2 parts per billion, surpassing the Food and Drug Administration’s maximum allowed amount of 10 parts per billion.
The FDA issued a Class II recall of the product, meaning that " use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”
“The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority,” Molly Blakeman, a Walmart spokesperson, said in a statement to media. “We have removed this product from our impacted stores and are working with the supplier to investigate.”
Most of the apple juice was recalled from states in the South and the Northeast.
According to the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program, small traces of arsenic are found in water and soil, causing plants to sometimes absorb the metal. It has also been found chemicals used to grow plants in the US.
According to the World Health Organization, inorganic arsenic is a carcinogen, meaning it can lead to cancer in some cases. Symptoms of the metal in the apple juice recall, however, are much less serious. Typically, the short-term symptoms of arsenic poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, muscle cramping and stomach pain.
The FDA cites possible longer term symptoms to arsenic poisoning for children, including learning disabilities, lower IQs and behavioral difficulties.
To prevent ingestion of inorganic arsenic, the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program offers this advice to parents: Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating, test soil for arsenic if you grow your own fruit, and limit general consumption of fruit juice for you and your children.
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