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Thursday, February 2, 2012

FDA: OJ OK

by Daniel J. DeNoon

Worried about a banned fungicide in your morning glass of orange juice?

Relax, says the FDA. Tests of OJ already in the U.S. clear the juice of danger. From now on, the FDA will only be testing orange juice as it’s entering the country.

The problem began when samples of OJ from Brazil tested positive for carbendazim, a fungicide banned in the U.S. but used in other nations. Those tests are sensitive down to 10 parts per billion (ppb).

The U.S. EPA finds no reason to worry about carbendazim levels below 80 ppb. And none of the juice now in the country has more than 36 ppb.

“Based on all results we have seen to date, we remain confident that orange juice in the U.S. may be consumed without concerns about its safety due to the possible presence of such residues,” the FDA says in a news release.

Since carbendazim is illegal in the U.S., any OJ imports testing positive for the fungicide — that is, containing 10 ppb or more — will be refused entry.

Posted by: Daniel DeNoon at 4:44 pm