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Report: Some Popular Juices May Contain Heavy Metals Harmful To Children

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new report says some popular juices may contain heavy metals. Those metals are substances that could make their way into food because they occur naturally in the air, water, and soil. But they can also wind up in food during manufacturing and packaging.

Mom Stephanie Trilling says she tries hard to keep her 4-year-old daughter away from juice mostly because of the sugar content.

"It's not something I want to give to my kids, but I also don't want to be that mom who is restricting everything," Trilling said.

Trilling may have another reason to restrict juice intake: a new analysis from Consumer Reports.

James Dickerson is the chief scientific officer. His team tested 45 different juices fro four heavy metal substances including inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.

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The team found that every single product contained a measurable amount of at least one heavy metal except for mercury. Twenty-one of the samples contained one or a combination of heavy metals that reached a level Consumer Reports researchers deemed concerning for daily consumption.

The CDC says long-term exposure to heavy metals may put people at risk for kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, damaged ability to learn and certain types of cancer.

Consumer reports are recommending parents lower the amount of juice they give their kids.

"So they should be concerned but don't panic. Frequent exposure to these heavy metals through the juice is a concern," Dickerson said.

The Juice Products Association, whose board of directors includes executives from Pepsico, Welch's and other juice brands whose products were tested, said they haven't seen the full study but called the results "unfounded" and told us they are committed to providing "safe and nutritious" products that meet FDA standards.

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They also said that there is "no scientific evidence" indicating that trace levels of heavy metals have caused any negative health outcomes.

Dr. Leo Trasande, Director of Environmental Pediatrics at the NYU school of medicine said, "The science is telling us increasingly that there are particular time points in life when even a small amount of exposure, for example, can disrupt hormones and thereby contribute to disease."

In 2013, the FDA proposed limiting inorganic arsenic in apple juice but no change was ever made. The FDA had no comment.

Consumer Reports said their findings are a "spot check" and "should not be used to draw definitive conclusions about specific brands."

CBS reached out to all of the juice companies. Ten responded saying their products are safe and follow all food safety guidelines.

Consumer Reports said the metals found in seven of the 21 samples had the potential to harm children who drink only a half cup per day.

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