My son refuses to drink sodas, which makes me one proud mama and almost makes me forget that he won’t eat most vegetables and fruits. But, I was alarmed today when I read that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to find out of the amount of arsenic in our food is a problem and apple juice – my son’s favorite drink – is among one of the highest offenders!
Past studies have shown that the amount of arsenic in our foods and drinks may pose a problem, but I guess the FDA has just glossed over it. Others, such as Consumer Reports, have performed their own testing and found that certain food items are high in arsenic. For example, apple juice – I cringe as I type this – is believed to have as much as 24 times the amount of arsenic the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says is safe for water.
Arsenic can cause cancer. How does it get in our food products? Well, it is there naturally, but it can also be absorbed into the soil from coal-fired power plants and can be found where pesticides have been used.
But, apple juice isn’t the only food item believed to have a large amount of arsenic in it. Scientists at Dartmouth University recently conducted a study that showed some cereal bars have 12 times more arsenic that is safe for water. This was for cereal bars made with brown rice syrup, a substitute for high-fructose corn syrup. Researchers believe the arsenic level in rice is so high because it can absorb the heavy metal from not only the water it grows in, but also the soil under the water.
The FDA is planning to test rice and by next year, the agency will determine if there needs to be a limit on the amount of arsenic in it. Still then, there are several things you can do to try to protect yourself. Use wild rice as it has a much lower level of arsenic.