Coke says it alerted FDA about fungicide in juice
Source: Agencies |
January 14, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
COCA-COLA Co acknowledged it was the company that alerted US federal regulators about low levels of fungicide in its own orange juice and in competitors' juice, prompting juice prices to rise and increased government testing for the residue.
The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have said orange juice is safe to drink and the amounts found are below levels of concern. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola, which makes the Minute Maid and Simply Orange brands of orange juice, said on Thursday it had notified the FDA of low levels of the fungicide carbendazim in the company's orange juice and in competitors' juice.
The FDA first announced on Monday that an unnamed company had told it about the fungicide and confirmed on Wednesday it was Coca-Cola.
Neither the FDA nor the company said which orange juice products tested positive. Carbendazim is not currently approved for use on citrus in the US, but it is used to combat mold on orange trees in Brazil, which exports orange juice to the US. Fungicides are used to control fungi or fungal spores in agriculture.
The FDA said Coca-Cola found levels up to 35 parts per billion of the fungicide, far below the European Union's maximum residue level of 200 parts per billion. The US government has not established an official maximum residue level for carbendazim in orange juice.
An Environmental Protection Agency assessment of carbendazim showed no risks at up to 80 parts per billion.
"The residues we have seen reported at 35 parts per billion are thousands of times below the concentration that would raise safety concerns," said EPA spokeswoman Betsaida Alcantara.
Coca-Cola spokesman Dan Schafer said: "This is an industry issue that affects every company that produces products in the US using orange juice from Brazil."
The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have said orange juice is safe to drink and the amounts found are below levels of concern. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola, which makes the Minute Maid and Simply Orange brands of orange juice, said on Thursday it had notified the FDA of low levels of the fungicide carbendazim in the company's orange juice and in competitors' juice.
The FDA first announced on Monday that an unnamed company had told it about the fungicide and confirmed on Wednesday it was Coca-Cola.
Neither the FDA nor the company said which orange juice products tested positive. Carbendazim is not currently approved for use on citrus in the US, but it is used to combat mold on orange trees in Brazil, which exports orange juice to the US. Fungicides are used to control fungi or fungal spores in agriculture.
The FDA said Coca-Cola found levels up to 35 parts per billion of the fungicide, far below the European Union's maximum residue level of 200 parts per billion. The US government has not established an official maximum residue level for carbendazim in orange juice.
An Environmental Protection Agency assessment of carbendazim showed no risks at up to 80 parts per billion.
"The residues we have seen reported at 35 parts per billion are thousands of times below the concentration that would raise safety concerns," said EPA spokeswoman Betsaida Alcantara.
Coca-Cola spokesman Dan Schafer said: "This is an industry issue that affects every company that produces products in the US using orange juice from Brazil."
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