UPDATED: The Facts About Apple Juice Safety

At Mott’s, nothing is more important to us than the well-being of the families who enjoy our brands every day. Moms have trusted Mott’s since 1842, and we continue to stand by the quality and safety of our products.  We understand that media reports on the presence of arsenic and lead in some juices have caused concern among our consumers.  We want to make sure you have all the facts.

An article on Nov. 30, 2011, from Consumer Reports inappropriately compared juice to drinking water. As a result, the report fails to take into account that the FDA level of concern for inorganic arsenic is set at 23 ppb for juice.  This is higher than the drinking water standard because people consume far less juice on a daily basis.  Most importantly, the Consumer Reports test showed that the Mott’s results for both total (2.12 ppb – 10.2 ppb) and inorganic arsenic (1.54 ppb – 6.55 ppb) are well below the level that the FDA has established as safe for juice.

We are committed to providing nutritious and safe fruit juices and will continue to comply with limits established by the FDA.  Our industry relies on the safety assessment and guidance of the FDA and other regulatory bodies on these issues, and we work with them to ensure that our products remain consistent with that guidance. In addition to conducting our own testing, the FDA routinely inspects all food and beverage manufacturing facilities such as ours to ensure they meet government guidelines. Additionally, we source all our ingredients only from the most reputable businesses, each of which must first pass an extensive review process before being approved as a supplier for Mott’s.

It is important to know that trace elements, such as arsenic and lead, naturally occur in the environment and are present at miniscule levels in drinking water and many of the agriculturally derived foods and beverages we safely consume – everything from dairy products, meat and whole fruits to vegetables and grains. 

For additional information on this issue, please visit: www.juiceproducts.org or www.fruitjuicefacts.org