Martinelli’s Gold Medal Apple Juice is being recalled for inorganic arsenic. Inorganic arsenic is the dangerous type of this heavy metal. Acute symptoms of arsenic poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities. Long term complications of arsenic poisoning include cancer, liver disease, diabetes, nervous system complications, and digestive difficulties.
Children are more susceptible to this compound because of their small body size and because they are growing. In addition, children usually consume more apple juice than adults do.
Last year the FDA set guidance on the amount of inorganic arsenic permissible in apple juice. Guidance does not establish legally enforceable boundaries. The action level is set at 10 parts per billion (ppb).
Because this recall notice was posted on the FDA’s Enforcement reports page, and not the regular recall page, there is no mention about whether or not any illnesses have been reported to the company to date. The apple juice was sold at the retail level in these states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico, along with foreign distribution to Panama.
The recalled product is Martinelli’s Gold Medal Apple Juice that is packaged in 1 liter (33.8 fluid ounce) bottles. The UPC number is 0 00 41244 00102 6. The best by dates are 09MAR2026 and 10MAR2026. And the production date is 3/09/23. You can see the long list of pallet/batch numbers at the web site.
If you purchased this apple juice, do not consume it. You can throw it away in as secure trash can with a tight lid, or you can take it back to the store where you bought it for a full refund.
