MARYLAND – Walmart has recalled 9,500 cases of apple juice from its shelves in Maryland and elsewhere after levels of naturally occurring arsenic exceeded limits recommended by the Food and Drug Administration.
Walmart’s Great Value 8-ounce 100 percent apple juice in six-packs, packaged in 8-ounce PET plastic bottles, is being recalled. The affected products have a best-before date of December 28, 2024, and a UPC code of 0-78742-29655-5, according to the FDA notice.
The juice is being recalled because the “product contains inorganic arsenic that exceeds the limit established by industry guidelines.”
The juice is being recalled from 26 other states and territories, including AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV.
Symptoms of immediate arsenic poisoning include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. According to the Cleveland Clinic, long-term exposure can cause skin changes such as darkening and lesions.
Inorganic arsenic is more toxic to humans than the naturally occurring form of the mineral arsenic, and the health effects of exposure are more severe, according to the FDA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified inorganic arsenic as a carcinogen, a substance that causes cancer.
The levels found in the recalled apple juice bottles are so low that the FDA does not believe they have such serious health consequences.
The FDA has not released any reports of possible illnesses related to the apple juice recall.
There are 48 Walmarts and 11 Sam’s Clubs in Maryland.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
