HOUSTON – Dr. Oz and the Food and Drug Administration have gotten into a war of words over a recent episode that claimed an independent test found something potentially dangerous in some brands of apple juice.
The episode in question aired Wednesday.
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"Some of the best of the best apple juice names in America have arsenic in their apple juice," Oz said.
The show said it hired an independent lab to test samples of apple juice produced overseas.
According to the show, the lab found that a third of the samples contained levels of arsenic higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency allows in drinking water.
There is no limit on arsenic in apple juice.
The FDA said the test results were misleading because there are many types of arsenic. Some are dangerous, such as from pesticides, but some occur naturally and are not as dangerous.
The Dr. Oz show only counted the total amounts of arsenic, without differentiating.
"It would be irresponsible and misleading for the Dr. Oz show to suggest that apple juice contains unsafe amounts of arsenic," said a senior scientist at the FDA.
The FDA also questioned the testing methods used by the show. The agency said it has conducted its own tests of the same apple juice lots and found arsenic levels well within safe margins.
"To try and interpret the data to mean that apple juice is unsafe is misleading, it's irresponsible, and I think they're needlessly scaring parents," said Don Zink of the FDA.
The Dr. Oz show airs on KPRC Local 2 weekdays at 3 p.m.