Bottles of apple juice sold at Walmart that were recalled earlier this month were given a Class II risk definition on Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to it containing elevated levels of inorganic arsenic.
A Class II risk classification means that consuming the product could “cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”
On August 15, Refresco Beverages U.S. voluntary recalled its “Great Value” brand apple juice, which is sold at Walmart.
The recall impacts 9,535 cases of the product, packaged in 8-ounce plastic bottles and sold in six-packs.
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The apple juice recall involves retail locations in the following places: Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia.
The recall, initiated on August 15, 2024, covers apple juice marked with the “Best if Used by DEC2824” code and the UPC number 0-78742-29655-5.
On Friday, the FDA classified the product as a Class II risk due to it containing elevated levels of inorganic arsenic.
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.”
Testing revealed that the juice contained arsenic levels above the FDA’s recommended industry action level of 10 parts per billion (ppb), registering at 13.2 ppb.
Although arsenic is a widely distributed, naturally occurring element, it can form inorganic compounds which are toxic to humans.
Because arsenic exposure at certain levels can be harmful to health, the FDA monitors and regulates levels of it in foods
Inorganic arsenic is a known carcinogen that, when consumed over time, can pose significant health risks, particularly to vulnerable people like children and pregnant women, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms can include numbness, tingling, or pins and needles in the feet and hands with associated weakness, stomach pain or diarrhea, patch areas of increased skin pigment, patchy areas of thickened outer skin layer, as well as a number of others.
Ingestion of inorganic arsenic can increase the risk of skin cancer and cancer in the liver, bladder, and lungs. Inhalation of inorganic arsenic can cause increased risk of lung cancer.
Newsweek has contacted Refresco Beverages U.S. for comment via email outside of normal business hours.
