Buzz
Here's yet another reason to limit kids' juice intake. A new report from Consumer Reports found troubling levels of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in several juice brands on store shelves. In some cases, these levels were high enough to pose a risk to children who drink as little as half a cup per day.
Consumer Reports notes, "Our findings are a spot check of the market and cannot be used to draw definitive conclusions about brands." The sample size (only three of each juice) is too small to say whether one brand consistently contains higher metal levels than another. However, their report complicates things by suggesting certain brands are "better alternatives," which their own data and statements do not substantiate. Ultimately, switching brands based on this research may not offer any real protection.
Metals like lead and arsenic can enter fruit from the soil or water used in its cultivation. Juice is more concentrated than whole fruit, which makes it easier to consume larger quantities—thus raising the risk of exposure to these harmful metals.
Consumer Reports is urging the FDA to enforce its proposed arsenic limit for apple juice and to extend it to other juice types. While the FDA has set a limit of 50 parts per billion for lead in juice, the allowable amount in bottled water is just 10 ppb, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 1 ppb or less for lead in school drinking fountains. There's no established limit for cadmium in juice, but perhaps it's time to consider one.
For now, the best approach is to reduce our juice consumption. This is actually a wise choice, as juice tends to be high in sugar and shouldn't make up a significant portion of anyone's diet. Both adults and children can satisfy their juice cravings by enjoying a refreshing piece of whole fruit instead.
