Illegal Levels of Lead Found in Juice Drinks and Fruit Cups

Lead exceeding California’s legal limit was found in dozens of popular juice and fruit products, according to the Environmental Law Foundation.

Drinks in violation included Earth’s Best Organics Apple Juice, Hansen Natural Apple Juice, Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider and Trader Joe's Certified Organic (pasteurized) Apple Juice.

One of the drinks we have in the house for Shabbat – Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice – is on the list. While we don’t have packaged pears, peaches and fruit cocktail in our house, several dozen products were on the high lead list.

The complete list of products tested can be found here, as well as on the jump. The products, which are in violation of California’s Prop 65, were found to contain more than 0.5 micrograms of lead.

The Environmental Law Foundation has submitted the drinks in violation to the California Attorney General and 58 county district attorneys hoping the government will take action. If California drops the ball, though, ELF plans to file a lawsuit in 60 days, according to the group’s press release.

This report has been slow to show up in the mainstream press, but you can listen to this KQED radio report for more information.

Apple Juice

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice
• Earth's Best Organics Apple Juice
• First Street 100% Apple Cider from concentrate
• First Street Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Full Circle Organic Apple Juice
• Gerber 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Great Value 100% No Sugar Added Apple Juice
• Hansen's Natural Apple Juice
• Kroger 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Langers Apple Juice 100% Juice
• Minute Maid Juice Apple - 100% Apple Juice
• Motts 100% Apple Juice
• O Organics Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice Not From Concentrate
• Old Orchard 100% Apple Juice
• Parade 100% Juice Apple
• Raley's Premium 100% Apple Juice not from Concentrate
• Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider
• Safeway 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Stater Bros. 100% Juice Apple Juice
• Sunny Select 100% Apple Juice
• Trader Joe's Certified Organic Apple Juice, pasteurized
• Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider
• Walgreens Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Walnut Grove Market 100% Apple Juice

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Great Value 100% Apple Juice not from concentrate
• Harvest Day 100% Apple Juice from Concentrate
• Kirkland Fresh Pressed Apple Juice Pasteurized
• Martinelli's Gold Medal Apple Juice 100% pure from US grown fresh apples
• R.W. Knudsen Organic Apple Juice unfiltered
• Raley's Everyday 100% Apple Juice
• Sunny Select 100% Unfiltered Apple Juice
• Trader Joe's Fresh Pressed Apple Juice all natural pasteurized, 100% juice
• Tree Top 100% Apple Juice
• Tree Top Three Apple Blend 100% Fresh Pressed Juice

Grape Juice

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• 365 Everyday Value Organic 100% Juice Concord Grapes
• First Street Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Gerber 100% Juice - White Grape Juice
• Great Value 100% Grape Juice
• Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice
• Kroger Grape Juice 100% Juice
• Langers Grape Juice (Concord)
• Langers Red Grape Juice
• O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate
• R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice
• R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Concord
• Raley's 100% Grape Juice
• Safeway 100% Juice Grape Juice
• Safeway Organic Grape Juice
• Santa Cruz Organic Concord Grape Juice
• Stater Bros. 100% Juice Grape Juice
• Stater Bros. 100% Juice White Grape Juice
• Sunny Select 100% Grape Juice
• Trader Joe's Concord Grape Juice made from fresh pressed organic concord grapes
• Tree Top 100% Juice, Grape
• Valu Time Grape Drink from Concentrate
• Walgreens Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
• Walnut Acres Organic Concord Grape
• Walnut Grove Market Grape Juice
• Welch's 100% Grape Juice (from Welch's Concord Grapes)
• Welch's 100% Red Grape Juice from Concentrate

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Old Orchard Healthy Balance Grape

Packaged Pears

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Best Yet Bartlett Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
• Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup
• Del Monte Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
• Del Monte Pear Halves, Bartlett Pears in 100% real fruit juice from concentrate
• Dole Pear Halves in Juice
• First Street Diced Pears
• First Street Sliced Bartlett
• Full Circle Organic Bartlett Pear Slices
• Gerber 3rd Foods Pears [Baby Food]
• Great Value Bartlett Pear Halves in 100% Juice
• Great Value Bartlett Sliced Pears in Heavy Syrup
• Market Pantry Diced Pears in Light syrup
• Maxx Value Pear Pieces in Light Syrup
• Polar Pear Halves in light syrup
• S&W Natural Style Pear Slices in Juice
• S&W Sun Pears Premium
• Safeway Lite Bartlett Pear Halves in Pear Juice
• Safeway Pear Halves in Light Juice
• Sunny Select Pear Halves in Pear Juice
• Trader Joe's Pear Halves in white grape juice
• Truitt Brothers Pacific NorthWest Bartlett Pear Halves, in pear juice from concentrate
• Valu Time Irregular Bartlett Pear Slices
• Walnut Grove Market Natural Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Eating Right Kids Diced Pears Fruit Cups
• Stater Bros. Diced Pears Snack Bowl

Packaged Peaches

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Best Yet Yellow Cling Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
• DelMonte Freestone Peach Slices in 100 % Juice
• Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in 100 % Juice
• Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
• Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup
• First Street Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
• Gerber 3rd Foods Peaches [Baby Food]
• Golden Star Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
• Great Value Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches
• Libby's Yellow Cling Peach Slices No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
• Market Pantry Diced Peaches in light syrup
• Polar Peach Slices
• Raley's Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup
• S&W Natural Style Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Lightly Sweetened Juice
• S&W Premium Peach Halves Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
• Safeway Diced Peaches in Light Syrup
• Safeway Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Pear Juice
• Simple Value Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
• Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Peach Halves
• Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in heavy syrup
• Sunny Select Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Pear Juice
• Trader Joe's Yellow Cling Peach Halves in while grape juice
• Valu Time Yellow Cling Peach Slices
• Walnut Grove Market Natural Peaches Sliced Yellow Cling in Light Syrup

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Dole Diced Peaches, Cling in Light Syrup
• Dole Diced Peaches, Freestone in Light Syrup
• Dole Sliced Peaches
• Eating Right Kids Diced Peaches in Extra Light Syrup
• Stater Bros. Diced Peaches Snack Bowl

Fruit Cocktail

For the following products, one or more samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Best Yet Chunky Mixed Fruit in Pear Juice
• Chef's Review Fruit Cocktail
• Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail
• Del Monte Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100 % Juice (peach, pear, grape, etc.)
• Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peach, pear, grapes)
• Del Monte Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added
• Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail in Extra Light Syrup
• Dole Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup
• Eating Right Fruit Cocktail packed in Sucralose
• Eating Right No Sugar Fruit Cocktail
• First Street Fruit Cocktail in heavy syrup
• Golden Star Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (peach, pineapple, pears)
• Great Value No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail
• Kroger Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• Kroger Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
• Kroger Value Fruit Mix (Peaches, pears, grapes)
• Libby's Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
• Market Pantry Mixed Fruit in light syrup
• Maxx Value Fruit Mix in Light Syrup (peach, pear, grape)
• Mrs. Brown's Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peaches, pears, grapes)
• Polar Mixed Fruit
• Raley's Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• S&W Natural Style Fruit Cocktail in Lightly Sweetened Juice
• Safeway Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• Safeway Light Sugar Fruit Cocktail
• Safeway Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
• Stater Bros. Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
• Sunny Select Fruit Cocktail in Juice

For the following products, NO samples exceeded the Prop 65 limit of 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving:

• Del Monte Mixed Fruit

Comments

[Erica Finkelstein-Parker]

This is very disturbing news. My husband, daughter and I drink Kedem Concord juice for the Jewish sabbath every week and sometimes during the week. I guess having a kosher certification doesn't mean a food or drink is safe.Also, my daughter has consumed a large amount of the pre-packaged fruit products in her lunches. Is there any talk of legal action? I would like to be a part of that.

[brettdl]

Man, it is scary. Ironically, we keep forgetting Sabbath, much to the ire of our children. We rarely keep any other juice or fruit cups in the house.

If California refuses to investigate, then the Environmental Law Foundation plans to sue. They're a non-profit, so you probably can donate to them.

One other concern: I have not yet seen this story make the media in any meaningful way .

[taobao buy]

Bad mood is bad for oneself.

[Coach Factory Online]

just be glad that she has friends to look after her. With all she has been through, it's good to know people will be there for her.