Apple juice sold at several stores is being recalled because it has inorganic arsenic higher than allowed by the federal government.
According to the American Cancer Society, arsenic can be found in rocks, soil, water, air, plants and animals. Inorganic arsenic is when the element is combined with something other than carbon. It is typically more toxic than organic arsenic — when arsenic is compounded with carbon and other elements — and can cause cancer in high amounts.
Most people will consume small amounts of arsenic in the food we eat and the drinks we consume, the organization said.
The Food and Drug Administration has set guidelines for how much arsenic is allowed in apple juice — 10 parts per billion — but said that the limit is “non-binding” but “will help to encourage manufacturers to reduce levels of inorganic arsenic in apple juice.”
If samples are higher than 10 ppb, the FDA then uses the limit and other factors to determine if action needs to be taken.
Initially, the recall involved about 10,000 cases of apple juice but was expanded to 133,500 cases, CBS News reported. The FDA did not say how high the levels were, only writing that the “Products contains inorganic arsenic above action level set in guidance to industry.”
The juice all came from Tampa-based manufacturer Refresco Beverages.
The FDA said the juice was sold in 8oz. bottles with best-by dates of Dec. 26 or 27, 2004, at Walmart stores in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, New York, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina. It was also sold in 96oz. bottles with best-by dates of Dec. 26, 27 or 28, 2024, in Puerto Rico, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Maine and New York.
For the complete list of Walmarts where the juice was sold, click here.
The recall also involves juice sold at Market Basket, Weis and Aldi stores.
Aldi said the juice was sold under the Nature’s Nectar brand in 64 fl oz. plastic bottles with UPC Code 4099100036381 and best-by dates of March 26 or 27, 2025.
The juice was sold at Aldi locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The FDA said the Maret Basket apple juice was sold in Maine in 64 oz. plastic bottles under the store brand and had code 032525 CT89-1 d.
Nice! brand apple juice came in 64 oz. plastic bottles with a best-by date of March 25, 2025. It was sold at Walgreens in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida.
Weis store brand apple juice had a sell-by date of March 25, 2025. and also came in 64 oz. plastic bottles, sold in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Wellsley Farms apple juice was sold at Bj’s Wholesale stores in Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts in 96 oz. plastic bottles with a March 26, 2025, best-by date.
Urban Meadow brand apple juice had a best-by date of March 26, 2025, and sold in Pennsylvania.
Both the Solevita brand sold in Virginia and the Clover Valley brand apple juice sold in South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, Indiana and New York had a best-by date of March 27, 2025.
Only the products with the dates specified above are part of the recall.
For more information call Refresco at 888-260-3776 and press button number 3.
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