myPRfeed

Juice producers put on defensive due to traces of arsenic discovered in products January 6, 2012

Although the Food and Drug Administration has promised that juices in America are safe from arsenic contamination, reports were widespread in 2011 that levels of the poison are much higher than previously thought. Consumer advocates supported the earlier findings of TV’s Dr. Oz, suggesting that arsenic – whether organic or inorganic – was prevalent especially in samples of apple juice and posed a threat to young children who gulp the substance daily. The stories were especially damaging to the industry, which already faced criticism for its use of flavor packs in “pasteurized” juices.

For more on the crisis for juice producers, see the following videos:

Discussion Questions:

1.  Why is arsenic, whether in its natural or inorganic state, so scary to parents even when it’s simply at trace levels in foods?

2.  How should juice producers response to this ongoing crisis?