[sarahp]

It's quite disturbing that not only are the levels of carcinogenic arsenic and lead higher than the allowable amount in water, but there are no FDA limits enforced for juice.

Consumer Reports article

Specific arsenic and lead levels in different juices

I don't give Zoe juice anyway, but I'm definitely going to only let her have it only very occasionally when she gets older!

[lunarmagic]

It drives me crazy that there aren't actual rules for some food items like this. There's enforceable limits for water, but not juice?! Good thing we don't drink juice!

[MrsLMB]

Dr. Oz pointed this out a few months ago and he pretty much got his azz ripped for saying such a thing. At least, that's how I remember it.

Nothing surprises me anymore. I don't give Claire juice, except for OJ when she takes her vitamins now.

[sarahp]

That's what the news article said this morning - that Dr Oz was the first to say it. Apparently he hadn't distinguished between inorganic arsenic (carcinogenic) and organic arsenic (non-carcinogenic). Consumer Reports took it further and tested more juices, and tested for inorganic arsenic.

[speechteach42]

GROSS! Why is this okay with the FDA!?!? Thank God I don't let E have any juice!

[rebeccabaltimore and more]

We don't drink juice much at home, just at restaurants, but this is is a good reason to be careful with apples and grapes in general, they are both high in pesticides. We peel apples before we give them to Grant.

[survey77777]

I watched that Dr. Oz when it was on. It was quite a while ago, but I want to say that the message they tried to send as to why it was ok was that the recommended juice intake for a child is 3oz a day maximum and the water intake should be much more. I don't think that makes it ok by any means, but I think that the recommendation is a good thing to remind ourselves of on occasion. One juicebox is more than the recommended amount.

It's an occasional thing around here too, and I try to go organic acai or the like when we do. Otherwise he's totally happy with boobie, water, and coconut milk for his stool softener.

[sarahp]

That consumer reports article found that in a survey of 555 (or something like that) families, that 8% of kids under 2 were drinking 16oz or more of juice per day!!! I think occasional juice isn't going to hurt, but that level of juice intake over a sustained period of time has got to be causing damage - not just pesticides, but the sugar too!

[momoftwins]

Mason never drinks juice, thankfully, but Avery does. I only let her have one juice box a day, but even that seems like too much after reading about this crap!