Walmart has recalled nearly ten thousand boxes of apple juice sold in stores across the United States after it was found to contain potentially harmful inorganic arsenic.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an initial announcement on August 15, and last Friday (August 23), classified this recall as a more urgent “Class II” recall.
The FDA stated that a “Class II” recall is when the affected products may cause temporary adverse health consequences, but are unlikely to result in serious or irreversible medical problems.
The UPC code of the recalled apple juice is 0-78742-29655-5, with a “best by” date of December 28, 2024.
According to the Associated Press, this recall involves 9535 boxes of Great Value brand apple juice sold in 25 states in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
The Florida-based manufacturer, Refresco Beverages US Inc., initiated the recall of these juices upon finding that the chemical contaminant levels in every pack of six bottles (each bottle being 8 ounces or about 227 grams) exceeded industry standards.
A spokesperson for Refresco company did not immediately respond to the Associated Press’s request for comment via email on Sunday, August 25.
Walmart spokesperson Molly Blakeman stated in a release, “We always prioritize the health and safety of our customers. We have removed this product from affected stores and are collaborating with the supplier for an investigation.”
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentioned that many foods contain very low levels of inorganic and organic arsenic. Testing is routine as even slight elevations in the levels of these two types of arsenic can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, numbness in limbs, and muscle spasms.
The FDA stated that arsenic is a natural mineral harmful to the human body. Inorganic arsenic is more toxic than naturally occurring mineral arsenic, and exposure to it has more serious health implications. The agency also noted that high levels of arsenic absorption in children are particularly dangerous, leading to learning disabilities, decreased intelligence, and behavioral difficulties. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified inorganic arsenic as a carcinogen.
The levels of arsenic found in the recalled apple juice are very low, and the FDA anticipates that these products will not have a severe impact on health.
The FDA has not yet released any reports of potential illnesses related to this recalled batch of apple juice.