Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. 
Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. What was studied?
This metals in apple juice survey was a targeted, regulator-led analytical survey designed to quantify key metal contaminants in apple juice and other apple-derived foods sold in Australia, with an explicit compliance lens against maximum levels (MLs) and the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) principle. FSANZ measured arsenic (total, with inorganic arsenic follow-up when total arsenic was detected), cadmium, lead, mercury, and tin across product types that matter for exposure and certification, including 100% apple juice, apple-based infant foods, apple puree, apple sauce, canned apple, and dried apple. The sampling frame leveraged an existing national collection originally purchased for a patulin survey, enabling a broad retail footprint across all Australian states and territories and two sampling windows (March–May 2021 and September 2021–February 2022). For an HMTC-style certification program, the study’s core value is not just “what was detected,” but how frequently metals were detectable at reporting limits, how results varied by product form (juice vs. infant foods vs. canned), and how the findings map to enforceable limits and action levels.
Who was studied
No human participants were enrolled; the “subjects” were commercial food products representing typical Australian purchasing patterns. FSANZ bought 299 total apple-product samples (259 juices and 40 other apple products) from retail outlets in capital cities and major regional centres, selecting brands intended to reflect general buying habits. Of these, 283 stored samples remained available for metals testing, and the laboratory ultimately analysed 71 test portions: 273 individual stored samples pooled into 61 composite samples plus 10 individual samples that were unsuitable for pooling. Pooling was structured to preserve interpretability by grouping on food type, jurisdiction of purchase, and sampling date (for example, multiple freshly made apple juices purchased in one city on a single day). The juice set focused strictly on pure (100%) apple juice and intentionally excluded juice drinks, concentrates, and mixed products, while still covering not-from-concentrate, reconstituted, and freshly squeezed styles—an important detail for certification scoping and category claims.
Most important findings
Across all analysed samples, metals were generally absent or present at very low concentrations: 82% of samples had no detectable levels of any analysed metals, and every reported concentration was below Australian and identified international limits. From an HMTC perspective, the most certification-relevant signals were (1) lead’s detectability near reporting limits in multiple product forms and (2) tin’s consistent presence in canned apple, implicating packaging-contact risk management.
| Critical point | Details |
|---|---|
| High non-detect rate supports low baseline risk | None of the analysed metals were found in 58/71 (82%) samples, indicating that routine controls can achieve very low occurrence in these categories. |
| Lead is the main “near-threshold” metal for juice certification | Lead was detected in 12/71 (17%) samples overall at 0.010–0.020 mg/kg. In apple juice specifically, 6/47 (13%) had lead detected at 0.010 mg/kg (equal to the lab limit of reporting), across not-from-concentrate, reconstituted, and fresh juices. |
| Arsenic was rare, and inorganic arsenic was not detected when checked | Total arsenic was detected in only two samples (dried apple 0.035 mg/kg; infant apple products 0.016 mg/kg), and both were re-analysed with inorganic arsenic returning |
| Cadmium and mercury were non-detects under the method reporting limits | Cadmium was not detected in any samples. Mercury was not detected in any samples. This informs HMTC panel prioritization and helps justify risk-based testing frequency. |
| Tin is a category-specific issue for canned apple | Tin was detected in 2/2 canned apple samples at 32 and 124 mg/kg, well below MLs cited for canned foods, suggesting the need for can-lining and storage-condition controls rather than agricultural sourcing controls. |
| Method sensitivity matters for pass/fail interpretation | The limit of reporting was 0.010 mg/kg for most tests (0.025 mg/kg for total/inorganic arsenic in dried apple), with ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS used and validation/QA/QC described—key context when a certification program sets targets near “non-detect” or action levels. |
Key implications
For HMTC, this metals in apple juice survey supports a compliance-first posture: certification thresholds should be framed around ALARA with method-aware reporting, because several lead detections in juice sit exactly at the 0.010 mg/kg reporting limit. Regulatory impact is strongest for lead and inorganic arsenic messaging, with practical certification requirements emphasizing validated ICP-MS/HPLC-ICP-MS methods, transparent LOR/LOQ reporting, and product-form stratification (juice vs. infant foods vs. canned). Industry application should add packaging controls for canned apple (tin) alongside agricultural and processing controls for lead. Research gaps include limited canned-apple sample counts and the interpretive blur introduced by compositing; practical recommendations are to increase targeted sampling for higher-risk forms and to set decision rules for “detected at LOR” results.
Citation
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Metals in Apple Juice and other Apple Products: Survey Report. March 2025.
The ALARA principle (“As Low As Reasonably Achievable”) is a safety standard that minimizes harmful exposures like heavy metals beyond regulatory compliance. By applying continuous reduction practices, it ensures food and consumer products meet the lowest feasible contamination levels, protecting vulnerable populations from cumulative risks.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that ranks first on the ATSDR toxic substances list. Inorganic arsenic contaminates water, rice and consumer products, and exposure is linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive deficits, low birth weight and cancer. HMTC’s stringent certification applies ALARA principles to protect vulnerable populations.
Cadmium is a persistent heavy metal that accumulates in kidneys and bones. Dietary sources include cereals, cocoa, shellfish and vegetables, while smokers and industrial workers receive higher exposures. Studies link cadmium to kidney dysfunction, bone fractures and cancer.
Lead is a neurotoxic heavy metal with no safe exposure level. It contaminates food, consumer goods and drinking water, causing cognitive deficits, birth defects and cardiovascular disease. HMTC’s rigorous lead testing applies ALARA principles to protect infants and consumers and to prepare brands for tightening regulations.
Mercury (Hg) is a neurotoxic heavy metal found in various consumer products and environmental sources, making it a major public health concern. Its regulation is critical to protect vulnerable populations from long-term health effects, such as neurological impairment and cardiovascular disease. The HMTC program ensures that products meet the highest standards for mercury safety.
Tin and its compounds, especially organotins, pose significant health risks ranging from neurological effects to reproductive toxicity. The HMTC program's stringent certification standards aim to minimize these risks and protect consumer health.
