FSANZ 2012 — Total and inorganic arsenic in apple and pear juice (Australia and New Zealand)
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) conducted a targeted analytical survey in 2012, measuring total and inorganic arsenic in 100 fruit juice samples (96 apple juice, 4 pear juice) from Australian and New Zealand retail and manufacturing sources. Thirty-four of the 96 apple juice samples had total arsenic above the level of reporting (LOR) of 2.5 µg/kg, with the highest total arsenic at 16 µg/kg; of these 34, 20 samples had quantifiable inorganic arsenic concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 11.3 µg/kg. No total arsenic was detected in any pear juice sample. The survey confirmed that arsenic concentrations in Australian and New Zealand apple juice are broadly comparable to those reported in the United States.
Key numbers
Total arsenic in apple juice: range <LOD (0.5 µg/kg) to 16 µg/kg; 34 of 96 (35%) samples >LOR (2.5 µg/kg).
Inorganic arsenic in apple juice (among the 34 samples with total As >LOR): quantifiable concentrations in 20 of 34 samples, ranging from 2.5 to 11.3 µg/kg (AsIII + AsV combined).
AsIII concentrations ranged from <LOD to trace amounts only; AsV was the predominant inorganic species when quantifiable.
Mean total arsenic (middle bound, all 96 samples): Australian-purchased 1.5 µg/kg; New Zealand-purchased 2.7 µg/kg; combined 2.1 µg/kg. Median (middle bound): 0.25 µg/kg for all groups.
Mean inorganic arsenic (middle bound, 34 samples with total As >LOR): Australian 2.5 µg/kg; New Zealand 3.5 µg/kg; combined 3.1 µg/kg. Median (middle bound): 2.5–2.6 µg/kg.
Highest total arsenic: 16 µg/kg (New Zealand-purchased); highest inorganic arsenic: 11.3 µg/kg (New Zealand-purchased).
US comparison: FDA (2011) reported total arsenic 1.3–36 µg/kg in US apple juice, mean 6.7 µg/kg; inorganic arsenic 2.8–9.8 µg/kg. This survey mean 5.4 µg/kg total arsenic (among samples >LOR), comparable.
Regulatory context: Australia/NZ had no ML for total or inorganic arsenic in fruit juice at time of survey. FDA proposed an action level of 10 µg/kg for inorganic arsenic in apple juice in July 2013 (same as EPA drinking water standard). This survey predates that proposed action level but data are relevant to it: 14 of the 34 Australian-purchased samples with detectable total As had inorganic As below the LOR of 2.5 µg/kg; none of the 34 exceeded 11.3 µg/kg inorganic arsenic.
LOD: 0.5 µg/kg; LOR/LOQ: 2.5 µg/kg (for both total and inorganic arsenic, ready-to-drink basis).
Analytical method: ICP-MS with collision cell device for total arsenic; HPLC-ICP/MS for arsenic speciation (AsIII and AsV). Non-detects below LOD and traces between LOD and LOR handled under lower, middle, and upper bound scenarios.
Methods (brief)
Total arsenic by NATA-accredited ICP-MS with collision cell; inorganic arsenic by in-house Symbio Alliance HPLC-ICP/MS method separating AsIII and AsV. LOD 0.5 µg/kg, LOR 2.5 µg/kg for both. Samples from April/May 2012 collection for a HCN survey. Three bound scenarios reported: lower (non-detects = 0), middle (non-detects = ½ LOD), upper (non-detects = LOD). Speciation performed only on the 34 samples with total As >LOR. Pear juice not analyzed for inorganic arsenic because total arsenic was not detected.
Implications
Certification: iAs in apple juice is the primary concern for children who consume large quantities; this survey predates FDA’s 10 µg/kg action level but the data support it as achievable — most samples well below this. Supports monitoring of iAs in apple-derived products targeted at children.
Courses: Demonstrates importance of iAs-specific methods versus total-arsenic measurements for apple juice; organic arsenic fractions are non-negligible in fruit matrices, so total arsenic alone overstates inorganic risk. Key example for speciation necessity.
App: iAs mean for quantifiable AU/NZ apple juice samples ~3 µg/kg; upper observed value 11.3 µg/kg. Total arsenic range up to 16 µg/kg in this market.