{"id":11008,"date":"2022-06-03T13:21:21","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T18:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/?p=11008"},"modified":"2022-10-17T11:38:03","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T16:38:03","slug":"fda-takes-action-to-limit-lead-in-juice-proposes-significant-but-insufficient-limits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/2022\/06\/03\/fda-takes-action-to-limit-lead-in-juice-proposes-significant-but-insufficient-limits\/","title":{"rendered":"FDA takes action to limit lead in juice, proposes significant \u2013 but insufficient \u2013 limits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Neltner<\/a>, Senior Director, Safery Chemicals<\/em><\/p>\n

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released draft action levels<\/a> for lead in juice, proposing to reduce lead limits from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb for apple juice and 20 ppb for all other juices. However, the draft limits don\u2019t go far enough to protect children. They also risk undermining the agency\u2019s broader Closer to Zero<\/a> effort<\/span> to drive down children\u2019s exposure to lead, arsenic, and cadmium in food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If finalized, these levels would be the most stringent in the world, including current European standards[1]<\/a> <\/span>and anticipated international standards<\/a>.[2]<\/a><\/span>\u00a0For that FDA deserves credit. Public comments to FDA are due June 28.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This blog is the first in our Unleaded Juice<\/em><\/a> blog series where we explore these issues. Heavy metals like lead are potent neurotoxicants that can impair children\u2019s brain development. Lead can also result in lower IQs in children.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strategically, juices are a smart place for FDA to begin driving down lead exposure in young children[3]<\/a><\/span>\u00a0for two reasons:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Fruits represent 25% of children\u2019s exposure to lead, a close second to grains.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>[4]<\/a> <\/span>While<\/span><\/span>\u00a0whole fruits have significant nutritional value, juices do not because much of the fiber and protein are removed. In addition, juices are high in calories and often very sweet, one of the reasons children like them. For these reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a> discourages serving fruit juices to young children.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. FDA<\/a> and consumer advocacy groups like Consumer Reports<\/a> have conducted significant testing of juices. As a liquid, it is easier to get a representative sample of juices, and they can be analyzed at a lower cost because sample preparation is simpler than for solids and mixtures.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For these reasons, juices represent an important opportunity for FDA to set aggressive limits that prioritize children\u2019s health over marketplace impacts while still balancing access to nutritious foods. Juices also represent the outer limit of what FDA will demand from industry since it will take a more cautious approach when setting lead limits for more nutritious foods. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    With its draft action levels for lead in juices, FDA has taken a needed \u2013 but insufficient \u2013 step forward, but much more is required. In this blog series, we will focus on:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n