More apple juice sold at Walmart and Aldi stores across the country is being recalled over concerns that it contains inorganic arsenic.
The initial recall included 10,000 cases of Great Value brand apple juice. Now, Florida-based manufacturer Refresco Beverages US Inc. has expanded the recall to include 133,500 cases.
Additional brands under the recall include PET, Market Basket, Nice!, Weis, Urban Meadow, Nature's Nectar, Wellsley Farms, Solevitea and Clover Valley, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The beverages were sold in 8-ounce, 64-ounce and 96-ounce bottles at Walmart and Aldi stores in dozens of states and Puerto Rico and Washington.
The National Institutes of Health has said very low levels of inorganic and organic arsenic are found in most food products, but regular testing is required to ensure products meet industry standards.
Elevated levels of either form of arsenic can cause symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, numbness and muscle cramping. Inorganic arsenic is more toxic to humans than the naturally occurring form of the mineral arsenic, according to the FDA. The Environmental Protection Agency has labeled inorganic arsenic a carcinogen, or a substance that causes cancer.
There have not been any reports of illness associated with the recalled product so far.
