One more reason why parents should not give kid's juice

Fruitjuice has beenfallng out of
favour for its high sugar con-
tent and low nutritional value.
Now parents have another reason
to pull the plug: heavy metals.
According to a study released
on Wednesday by Consumer Re
ports, measurable levels of cadmi-
um, inorganic arsenic, mercury or
lead were found in every single one
of the 45 juice products it tested
from major brands sold across the
US. Almost half of the juices had
metal levels so high they were dee-
med concerning, with seven of the
products posting heavy metal con-
centrations high enough to harm
children who drink as little as 4
ounces —about half a cup-a day.
"Therisks we assessed wereall due
to chronic exposure-persistent,
daily intake over an extended pe
riod of time,', James Dickerson,
Consumer Reports chief scientific.
officer, said in an interview. "Whet-
her you're an adult or a child, it's a
good idea to try to reduce the amo-
unt of non-refrigerated, ready to
drinkjuice."




RTo befair, it would be impossible
to remove all heavy metals from fo-
od and drinks, since some can oc-
cur naturally, Dickerson said. Tox-
ins can find their way into foods
through water, air and soil. or they
can be added unintentionally at
manufacturing plants or in pro-
duct packaging. In some of the jui-
ces tested, thelevelof asingle metal
wasn't concerning, but combined,
they could have an adverse effecton
children's developing brain and
nervous systems, the report said.
Organic juice, or juice marketed
for children, isn't necessarily safer:
Neither group performed any bet-
ter than other juices, Consumer Re-
ports found. In general, grape juice
and juice blends had the highest av-
erage heavy metal levels, the report
said. Certain juices from Minute
Maid, RW Knudsen, Gerber, We-
lch's, Mott's and Juicy Juice were
listed as potentially risky at either a
cup or half cup aday. Some in-house
juice brandsfrom Trader Joe's, Wal-
mart Inc., CVS Health Corp. and
Whole Foods Market Inc. were also
found to be potentially harmful.
"All Welch's juice is safe and
strictly complies with all foodsafety
regulationsforjuice—inthe United
States and in other countries aro
und the world," Jackie Lee, senior
manager of brand engagement for
Welch's, said in an email. Gerber,
owned by Nestle SA, said it uses so
me of the most precise analytical
equipment and test methods ava-
lable to carry out regular tests. The
other companies did not respond to
requests for comment.
By the times of india