Walmart has recalled more than 9,500 cases of apple juice over fears it could contain arsenic.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the retailer’s ‘Great Value’ brand six pack 8oz apple juice PET plastic bottles have elevated levels of ‘inorganic arsenic’ in them.
The recalled juices have a ‘best if used by’ date of December 28, 2024 and a UPC of 0-78742-29655-5.
The recall was initiated on August 15 and was later classified as a ‘Class II’ recall on Friday, the FDA said.
A ‘Class II’ recall is ‘a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,’ according to the agency.
In the US, stores in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, sold the recalled apple juice.
The FDA said the juices had arsenic levels of 13.2 parts per billion. Last year, the agency announced that the limit for inorganic arsenic should be 10 parts per billion in apple juice.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element often found in the Earth’s crust, but it is toxic for humans.
