United States House Representative, Frank Pallone, Jr. introduced H.R. 3984 on Wednesday that would set arsenic and lead limits in juice. The “Arsenic Prevention and Protection from Lead Exposure in Juice Act of 2012,” otherwise known as the “APPLE Juice Act of 2012” is in direct response to Consumer Reports investigations. The investigative reports found levels of arsenic and lead exceeding federal drinking water standards in 10 percent of apple and grape juice samples tested in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The Act would require FDA to establish standards for the juices within two years.
For those of us in the California market, we can expect potential limits to be set, but how they match up to potential Proposition 65 warning levels and whether any preemption issues may be raised will remain to be seen.