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Dr. Oz vs. the FDA

Sep 15, 2011  •  Post A Comment

A TV doctor and a federal agency are at odds over whether trace amounts of arsenic found in many apple juice products should be considered a health risk, the AP reports.

After Mehmet Oz said Wednesday on “The Dr. Oz Show” that tests turned up problematic levels of arsenic in some juices, word surfaced that the Food and Drug Administration had warned the show that the testing was misleading, according to the report.

The story adds: “Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and former acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also scolded Oz Thursday on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ show for scaring consumers with what Besser called an ‘extremely irresponsible’ report, like ‘yelling “Fire!” in a movie theater.’"

Noting that arsenic is naturally occurring, the FDA said, “Organic arsenic is essentially harmless,” according to the article.

The show apparently tested for total arsenic, not breaking down organic and inorganic levels.

An FDA statement said: "There is no evidence of any public health risk from drinking these juices. And FDA has been testing them for years."

But according to the report, Oz’s show said through spokesman Tim Sullivan: "We don’t think the show is irresponsible. We think the public has a right to know what’s in their foods."

The story adds: “Sullivan said Oz does not agree that organic arsenic is as safe as authorities believe, and [said] the show will do further tests to distinguish organic from inorganic arsenic in juice samples.”

One Comment

  1. I don’t like him anyway. But he sure got a lot of free publicity!

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