MD Walmart Stores Recall Apple Juice For Elevated Arsenic Levels

MARYLAND — Walmart has recalled 9,500 cases of apple juice from its shelves in Maryland and elsewhere after it tested above Food and Drug Administration recommended levels for naturally occurring arsenic.

Walmart's Great Value 8-ounce 100 percent apple juice in six packs packaged in 8-ounce PET plastic bottles is being recalled. The affected products have a Best If Used By date of Dec. 28, 2024, and a UPC code of 0-78742-29655-5, according to the FDA announcement.

The juice is being recalled because the "product contains inorganic arsenic above action level set in industry guidance."

The juice is being recalled from 26 other states and territories including AL, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV.

Symptoms of immediate arsenic poisoning include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure can cause skin changes such as darkening and lesions, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Inorganic arsenic is more toxic to humans than the naturally occurring form of the mineral arsenic, and the health effects from exposure are more severe, according to the FDA. The Environmental Protection Agency has labeled inorganic arsenic a carcinogen, or a substance that causes cancer.

Levels found in the recalled apple juice bottles are low enough that the FDA does not expect them to cause such severe health consequences.

The FDA has not shared reports of possible illnesses associated with the apple juice recall.

There are 48 Walmarts and 11 Sam's Clubs in Maryland.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.