Walmart recalls thousands of apple juice cases due to arsenic levels

Walmart has had to recall another one of their popular items due to levels of arsenic flagged by epidemiologists.

The supermarket giant has had to pull nearly 10,000 cases of their Great Value apple juice after tests revealed the juice contained above-acceptable levels of inorganic arsenic levels.

The FDA originally issued the recall on August 15, but increased the warning to a Class II category warning.

Class II Recalls are issued on products that have a lower chance of causing major injuries or death, but where there is still the possibility of serious enough adverse events to have irreversible consequence.

This type of recall is related to substances that can cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.

The recalled juices were sold in 8oz bottles in packs of six at Walmart stores across 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

This isn’t the first time apple juice has been recalled due to arsenic levels, in fact, in May, 25,000 bottles were recalled for the very same issue, remember the bottles that everyone was biting into on TikTok? Yeah, those.

So, why is arsenic finding its way into our apple juice? And is it still safe to drink?

Arsenic is released into the environment through industrial and agricultural processes and comes in two forms: organic and inorganic. Inorganic arsenic, which is the type that has shown up in the apple juice recalls, is considered the more toxic form, according to the World Health Organization. 

Arsenic exposure usually comes from smoking tobacco, being around tobacco smoke, or consuming, by eating or drinking, contaminated plants.

“In the U.S., arsenic — especially inorganic arsenic — was used in agricultural activities as a component of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides,” says Jordan Kuiper, Ph.D., epidemiologist and assistant professor in the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

“It is important to note that apple trees are able to uptake arsenic from the contaminated soil and/or water, where it is then moved to other parts of the plant, including the apple fruit itself. However, arsenic can be introduced to the final product, apple juice, at multiple points along the production process.”

Bein exposed to arsenic can cause arsenic poisoning in the short-term, but since it is also a carcinogen, it has been linked to causing skin, lung, and bladder cancer, per the WHO.

“While arsenic can naturally occur in some foods, including apple juice, the levels are generally considered low and safe for consumption,” says Daniel Ganjian, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.

“However, it’s important to note that the amount of arsenic in apple juice can vary depending on factors such as where the apples are grown and the specific processing methods used.”

So, the best advice is to remain vigilant about recalls and to try and reduce your apple juice intake if you are someone who consumes a lot of it.