Walmart withdraws Refresco apple juice distributed in 25 states due to elevated arsenic concentration.
Walmart initiated a recall of around 10,000 batches of apple juice, sold nationwide in the U.S., following discoveries of potentially hazardous amounts of inorganic arsenic. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) upgraded the recall to a higher urgency on August 19, issuing warnings about temporary health issues, although they categorically dismissed the likelihood of irreversible or severe health complications.
This recall pertains to 9,535 units of Great Value-branded apple juice stocked in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The U.S. manufacturer, Refresco Beverages, proactively issued a recall for the contaminated six-packs of 8-ounce juice bottles, after detecting excess concentrations of the harmful chemical.
Refresco's spokesperson failed to respond to Sunday emails requesting comments.
Official spokesperson for Walmart, Molly Blakeman, stated in a memo, "Safety and well-being of our customers consistently remain at the apex of our priorities. Consequently, we have withdrawn this product from our affected retail outlets and initiate dialogues with our supplier to analyze the issue."
The National Institutes of Health emphasize that tiny quantities of both organic and inorganic arsenic exist in numerous food sources. Mildly augmented levels of either variant might result in symptoms resembling nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, numbness, and muscle spasms.
Organic arsenic exerts lesser toxicity compared to inorganic arsenic, the more harmful form of arsenic for humans. The FDA attests to more severe health effects caused by exposure to inorganic arsenic, and the Environmental Protection Agency has designated it as a carcinogen.
FDA asserts that the detected amounts in the recalled apple juice containers fall short of triggering severe health issues.
Since its announcement, the FDA has neither publicized any illness complaints related to the apple juice recall nor disclosed test results.
Businesses involved in this issue, such as Walmart and Refresco Beverages, prioritize the safety of their consumers. Walmart, following the discovery of potentially harmful arsenic levels, withdrew the affected apple juice from its stores.
