Yes, there's arsenic in apple juice — but most juices fall below the FDA's newly announced limits

• The FDA announced new guidance for how much arsenic can be in apple juice.
• One advocacy group says the guidance should be lower, citing children's health.

The Food and Drug Administration officially set arsenic limits for apple juice — and it only took them 10 years to do so.

In an announcement on June 1, the FDA set the limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) as an allowable amount of inorganic arsenic in apple juice, following draft guidance they published on the matter in 2013.

But consumer advocacy organization Consumer Reports is taking issue with the guidance, saying it's too little too late and could leave children, the largest consumer set of apple juice drinkers, susceptible to health issues including learning and behavioral problems.

"Today's announcement by FDA will have minimal impact on public health because the action level should be lower than 10 ppb based on current science" said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports, in a release. Ronholm also noted that the majority of the products available to consumers already fall well under this threshold.

Arsenic is all around us

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element of the Earth's crust that is present throughout the environment in the air, water, and land, according to the World Health Organization. High levels of arsenic can be toxic, the organization says, and exposure has been linked to a variety of health problems including cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and behavioral problems.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, younger children are the most vulnerable to the effects of arsenic because they get more exposure per pound of body weight than adults, and are more likely to put their hands in their mouths.

This isn't the first time arsenic levels in foods have raised eyebrows. In 2019 high levels of heavy metals, including arsenic, were found in baby foods containing rice, as Insider reported. That same year, an investigation by Consumer Reports found "potentially dangerous" amounts of arsenic in bottled water, also reported by Insider.

Most apple juice falls well below the new guidelines

The FDA's report revealed that while some apple juice samples had levels as high as 44 ppb, the average arsenic level of juices tested was just 4.6 ppb, well below the new 10 ppb threshold they've advised.

Consumer Reports recommends the cutoff be set a 3 ppb and notes that in a review they previously conducted, 58% of juices tested (apple and others) had levels that were below this threshold. This is good news for parents, since the new guidance from the FDA isn't enforceable, it's just a recommendation intended to guide manufacturers.

While there is little parents of apple juice-loving kids can do aside from limiting consumption of the beverage, the FDA does suggest apple growers and processors work to reduce arsenic levels in juice by monitoring ground contamination in orchards as well as water used during manufacturing.

For parents who are still concerned about arsenic exposure, the FDA says that eating a varied diet can help limit exposure to environmental contaminants, and offering kids whole fruits instead of juice when possible.