Heavy metals found in fruit juices

According to Consumer Reports, a concerning level of heavy metals have been found in some fruit juices, including potentially harmful levels of inorganic arsenic, cadmium and lead.

Consumer Reports tested 45 popular fruit juices sold across the country — including apple, grape, pear, and fruit blends — and found elevated levels of those elements, commonly known as heavy metals, in almost half of them including juices marketed for children.

 “In some cases, drinking just 4 ounces a day — or half a cup — is enough to raise concern,” said James Dickerson, chief scientific officer for Consumer Reports in the company’s press release.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of heavy metals. “Exposure to these metals early on can affect their whole life trajectory,” said Jennifer Lowry, chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Environmental Health, as well as director of clinical pharmacology, toxicology, and therapeutic innovations at Children’s Mercy Kansas City in the Consumer Reports press release. “There is so much development happening in their first years of life.”

But heavy metals can harm adults, too. “Five of the juices we tested pose a risk to adults at 4 or more ounces per day, and five others pose a risk at 8 or more ounces,” Dickerson said. “Every product had measurable levels of at least one of these heavy metals: cadmium, inorganic arsenic, lead or mercury.”

Twenty-one (47 percent) of the 45 juices had heavy metals, Dickerson added.

Twenty-four national and private label brands were represented in the study.