Fungicide Detected in Orange Juice

On January 9, 2012, the U.S Food and Drug Administration announced it will step up testing for a fungicide that has been found in low levels in orange juice. They say they are not concerned about the safety of the juice but will increase testing to make sure the contamination is not a problem. Not a problem? The fungicide they are referencing is carbendazim, classified by Friends of the Earth as one of their ‘filthy four’ pesticides.

Carbendazim is not approved for use on citrus in the United States for good reason. Testing indicates that it may be an endocrine disruptor. According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, pregnant women and children should avoid exposure.

However, the fungicide is legal for use on citrus in Brazil, which exports orange juice to the United States, Canada and a good chunk of Europe. Brazil is the world's largest orange juice exporter, accounting for more than half of the sea-borne orange juice trade. The United States is second but the industry in Floria has been battling variability of weather and ongoing problems with tree disease. So the big US producers import orange juice from Brazil to augment their retail products.

According to Business Week the Coca Cola Co., owner of the Minute Maid brand, said yesterday that it had brought the use of the fungicide by some Brazilian orange growers to the FDA’s attention. The company said in a statement that Brazilian orange juice is safe and it will take guidance from the FDA in resolving the situation. European Union member states will review U.S. tests of imported orange juice next week.

So How much OJ Do We Drink?
Americans drink about 17.8 litres (4.7 gallons) of orange juice per person. In Canada the average annual OJ intake totals about 12.5 litres (3.3 gallons) — twice as much as apple juice. And, according to Statistics Canada juice is the beverage of choice after milk for kids. Toddlers aged one through eight drink more fruit juice than pop or artificial 'fruit drinks'. Pretty scary considering their little bodies are still developing.

According to Coca Cola owned Minute Maid website their orange juice products come mostly from Brazil. McCain's Old South Orange Juice, the third-biggest selling frozen juice concentrate brand in Canada, does not state where the orange juice comes from and according to PepsiCo's Tropicana website, the processor uses 'small quantities of high-quality orange juice from Brazil to supplement the Florida crop'.

This discovery comes after the agency said it would also step up testing for arsenic in apple juice. FDA officials said last year that the agency is considering tightening restrictions for the levels of arsenic allowed in the juice after consumer groups pushed the agency to crack down on the contaminant.

Studies show that apple juice has generally low levels of arsenic and the government says it is safe to drink. But consumer advocates say the FDA is allowing too much of the chemical -- which is sometimes natural, sometimes man made -- into apple juices favoured by thirsty kids.

Patty Lovera of the consumer group Food and Water Watch said the federal government needs to rely on its own testing, not that of the companies.
"The federal government needs to set consistent, meaningful, enforceable standards for all toxins," she said