Antimony Allegedly Detected in EU Commercial Fruit Juices
According to researchers from Denmark and Greece, some juice drinks obtained from markets in the European Union (EU) contain levels of antimony, a suspected carcinogen related to arsenic, above EU drinking water limits. Claus Hansen, et al., “Elevated antimony concentrations in commercial juices,” Journal of Environmental Monitoring, February 17, 2010. According to the article, “Antimony concentrations up to a factor of 2.7 above the EU limit for drinking water were found in commercial juices and may either be leached from the packaging material or introduced during manufacturing, pointing out the need for further research.” The researchers reportedly tested antimony levels in 42 different beverages, primarily red fruit juices, produced in the United Kingdom and sold in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles or Tetra Pak® cartons. They apparently found antimony above established safe levels in eight of them.
Lead researcher Claus Hansen noted that while the levels exceeded drinking water limits, because “no antimony limits exist for foodstuffs . . . no legislation has been broken.” A spokesperson for the British Soft Drinks Association defended the industry and was quoted as saying, “Fruit juices and juice drinks are safe. There is no read across between the levels of antimony permitted in drinking water and those that might be acceptable in a fruit juice or a juice drink.” See Express.co.uk, March 1, 2010.
