FDA Announces Measures to Limit Lead Content in Juices

Lead is especially harmful to vulnerable populations, including infants, young children, pregnant women and their fetuses, as well as people with chronic diseases.

The FDA warns that high levels of lead exposure can seriously harm the health and development of children, specifically the brain and nervous system.

FDA guidance for industry provides preliminary action levels of 10 parts per thousand million (ppb) for lead in pure apple juice and 20 ppb for lead in all other types of straight juices, including juice blends containing apple juice.

The FDA issued a lower action level for apple juice because it is the most commonly consumed juice drunk by young children.

The plan could result in a reduction of up to 46% in lead exposure from apple juice in children and a reduction of 19% in the exhibition for all other fruit and vegetable juices.

For good nutrition, the FDA recommends parents follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which suggest limiting juice intake for children. This would also reduce potential exposure to lead from juice.

The dietary guidelines state that children under months of age should not consume juice and recommend that children consume whole fruit instead of juice.

The FDA is accepting comments on the draft guidance and will work with the manufacturers of these juices to encourage the adoption of best practices to reduce lead levels in the product.

According to the announcement, the new FDA action on The juices endorse the agency’s Closer to Zero action plan. The plan identifies actions the agency will take to reduce exposure to arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury from foods consumed by infants and young children to the minimum possible.