Juice Sold In TX Recalled, May Be Contaminated With Toxic Substance

Thousands of bottles of apple juice are being recalled over concerns they may be contaminated with a toxin. The products were sold in Texas and 27 other states.

S Martinelli & Company, based on Watsonville, California, is recalling more than 7,200 cases of apple juice because they could potentially be contaminated with patulin.

The recalled products were sold in clear, round glass bottles with a white metal screw top lid. Details on the product's UPC codes can be found here.

The products were sold in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

According to the National Library of Medicine, patulin is a mycotoxin produced by a variety of molds, particularly Aspergillus and Penicillium. "It is commonly found in rotting apples, and the amount of patulin in apple products is generally viewed as a measure of the quality of the apples used in production," according to the National Library of Medicine. "It is not a particularly potent toxin, but a number of studies have shown that it is genotoxic, which has led to some theories that it may be a carcinogen, though animal studies have remained inconclusive."

The recall was first initiated in March, but was recently classified as a Class II recall by the FDA.

A Class II recall is defined by the agency as a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.