You may have heard about the controversial episode on Dr Oz yesterday about arsenic in apple juice, but if not here's the scoop! Of the top brands that the Dr Oz show tested, companies selling apple juice - in juice boxes - to kids - there were many that tested positive for arsenic. Among the highest were Mott's, Juicy Juice and GERBER. You know, the brand that has for years been the go to for baby products, baby food, baby formula, baby cereal. I am astonished at Gerber. Evidently there is little regulation on imported apple concentrate. Countries like China and Brazil are spraying crops with pesticides and it is leaving residue in the food. US companies are buying this and packaging it here and selling it to us. My question is: Why would these companies whose market is kids/babies care more about importing cheaply than the health of our country's children?!! I find this outrageous and appalling. Off my soap box now. Here's how you react to protect your children:
- Always check the labels and all over the box (like on the stamped exp date, etc) for products from the USA. These non imports are regulated by the FDA. supposedly...
- When you can, buy organic. All of the organic brands tested well below the legal amount for drinking water. (Yes, there is trace amounts in drinking water that is legal and restricted by laws in the US).
This may be just one small step in the right direction. Who knows, there may be tons of products that I buy with terrible ingredients or chemicals in them. But I do know that from now on I will be checking all my labels for more natural products. And for products grown in the USA. I believe this to be a good practice anyway, since we should be supporting our own farmers and US based companies.
Thanks for letting me vent and hopefully this helps keep someone's little one a little safer in the future.