The Emmy® Award-Winning "The Dr. Oz Show" Finds Elevated Levels of Arsenic in Store-Bought Apple Juice; Show to Release Full Results Wednesday, September 14

NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Emmy® Award-winning, critically acclaimed and nationally syndicated "The Dr. Oz Show" today reveals the results of a comprehensive investigative report on arsenic levels in store-bought apple juice.  "The Dr. Oz Show" tested five different popular brands of apple juice and found elevated levels of arsenic in some samples that exceed the federal level set by the EPA for drinking water and one sample exceeding the level of concern set by the FDA for fruit juice.

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"As a doctor and a parent, it's concerning to me that there could be toxins such as arsenic in juice we are giving to our kids," said two time Emmy Award winning host Dr. Mehmet Oz. "While we do not know of any cases of poisonings, we do know that arsenic is a substance that shouldn't be in food and could be associated with various public health problems such as cancer.  Our show today demonstrates that there is in fact arsenic in some juice products and advocates that allowable levels should be equal with tap and bottled water standards."

The EPA mandates that the level of arsenic in tap water not exceed 10 parts per billion (ppb).  The FDA also mandates that bottled water not exceed levels of 10ppb.  However, for fruit juice, the FDA has set a "level of concern" at 23ppb.  Collectively, these levels assume the average adult consumes two liters of water per day, and 4 ounces of fruit juice. Parents on the show Wednesday challenge the assumption that their children drink only 4 oz of apple juice per day.

Results of the independent testing performed by "The Dr. Oz Show" showed out of 36 samples tested, 10 exceeded the limit of 10ppb set by the EPA for arsenic in drinking water, with the highest level at 36ppb.  Samples were purchased in grocery stores in New York, Los Angeles and Flint, Mich.  None of the five companies whose brands were tested agreed to appear on the show, nor did any source from the FDA.   Two companies, the Juice Products Association and the FDA, sent statements in response to the reported levels, excerpts of which appear in the show, and the entirety of which can be viewed on the show's web site, www.doctoroz.com.

Arsenic is a harmful heavy metal known to cause cancer and kidney problems. It is both naturally occurring and inorganic.  The inorganic form of arsenic is more acutely dangerous and vastly more carcinogenic, but according to the CDC, the health effects of organic arsenic are still largely unknown but can include kidney damage and diarrhea.  The acceptable level for drinking water of 10ppb set by the EPA refers to total arsenic and does not distinguish between organic or inorganic forms.  

"This show is about the public's right to know what is in the juice they are giving their children," said Dr. Oz.  "We are not saying that apple juice is contaminated or causes cancer, but we are saying that it's in the public's interest to adopt stricter and universal standards for arsenic levels."

In the last decade, as food imports have increased from China and other countries, arsenic in pesticides has increasingly become a concern.  In 1991, the U.S. banned arsenic in pesticides in domestic agriculture, but it remains in use in other countries.  In 2009, a University of Arizona study published in The American Journal Of Environmental Sciences found: "Many commercially available juices contained amounts of arsenic that exceeded the federal limit set for ground water by the EPA," and "Those consuming apple and grape juice are the young and the elderly and it is these populations that may be vulnerable to over exposure to heavy metals."

About The Dr. Oz Show

Dr. Oz won his second consecutive Emmy® Award for outstanding informative talk show host at the 2011 Daytime Emmys. The Dr. Oz Show won its first Emmy® Award for Best Informative Talk Show in 2011.  The Dr. Oz Show debuted in 2009 with the biggest ratings in seven years in daytime television and maintained impressive ratings throughout the season.

Dr. Oz has served as health expert on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" since 2004, sharing advice with viewers to help them live their best life from the inside out. Dr. Oz has co-authored six New York Times Best Sellers including "YOU: The Owner's Manual", "YOU: The Smart Patient", "YOU: On a Diet", "YOU: Staying Young", "YOU: Being Beautiful" and "YOU Having a Baby" as well as the award-winning "Healing from the Heart." He has a regular column in TIME Magazine, AARP and O The Oprah Magazine.  He is also the host of a daily talk show on Sirius XM Radio's "Oprah Radio."

Dr. Oz is vice-chair of the Department of Surgery and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University.  He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital and performs 100 heart operations annually. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complementary medicine and health care policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents.  

Cleared in over 99% of the country, "The Dr. Oz Show" is co-produced by Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and distributed by SPT.  "The Dr. Oz Show" is executive produced by Mindy Borman; Amy Chiaro is co-executive producer.  The show is filmed in front of a studio audience in Studio 6A in New York's legendary Rockefeller Center.  

ABOUT HARPO

Harpo Productions, Inc. produces the number-one-rated, award-winning, The Oprah Winfrey Show, creates and develops original TV programming for primetime, syndication and cable television and operates Oprah.com (www.oprah.com), a premier lifestyle website. Harpo Print, LLC and Hearst Magazines publish the monthly O, The Oprah Magazine publication. Harpo Films is dedicated to high- quality scripted dramatic programming. Harpo Radio, Inc. produces Oprah Radio (XM channel 156, Sirius channel 195 as part of its "Best of XM" package) on Sirius XM Radio. A joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a multiplatform company, will debut in 2010 in more than 70 million homes on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. Internationally, SPT is a leader in local language productions around the world, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats in approximately 70 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE's long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with 120 channel feeds, which are available in more than 142 countries reaching more than 500 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row and Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN, new 3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT's syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

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SOURCE The Dr. Oz Show