On December 28, the US Food and Drug Administration learned that a juice company had detected very low levels of the pesticide carbendazim in some of its products – specifically orange juice concentrate – and those of its competitors. While both FDA and the US Environmental Protection Agency have stressed that the reported levels do not raise safety concerns, the issue has been making major headlines over the past few days.
To help make sense of the coverage, here are some quick facts and links:
What is carbendazim? Carbendazim is a broad spectrum fungicide used on a range of crops, including cereals, fruits, vines, hops and vegetables. It is widely used around the world. However, it has not been authorized for use on oranges in the US by EPA, and is an unlawful pesticide chemical residue in orange juice under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Is carbendazim toxic? Carbendazim is acutely toxic, but only at very high doses that would be almost impossible to achieve unintentionally in humans. The International Program on Chemical Safety reports oral LD50 levels (exposure levels sufficient to kill 50% of animals exposed) of between 3 and 15 grams/kg body weight. This is equivalent to a typical person consuming between 210 grams and over 1 kilogram of the substance. There is minimal evidence for carbendazim being a carcinogen according to data cited by the UK Pesticide Action Network. However, there are concerns over it acting as an endocrine disruptor.
Where has the current contamination come from? According to the FDA, reports received by the agency indicate that carbendazim is present in orange juice products from the 2011 crop from Brazil, where the fungicide is used legally under Brazilian law to combat black spot, a type of mold that grows on orange trees.
How much carbendazim has been found in orange juice? In a letter alerting the orange juice processing industry of the situation, the FDA indicated that levels detected in orange juice were in the low parts per billion range. At 10 parts per billion contamination, drinking a gallon of orange juice would result in being exposed to approximately 40 billionths of a kilogram of carbendazim (0.04 µg).
Does carbendazim accumulate in the body over time? There is very little evidence for accumulation. According to the International Program on Chemical Safety, in rat studies more than 98% of an oral dose of carbendazim was recovered in the urine and faeces within 72 hours.
What is FDA’s take on the situation? In a letter dated January 9, FDA states
FDA does not intend to take action to remove from domestic commerce orange juice containing the reported low levels of carbendazim. FDA is, however, conducting its own testing of orange juice for carbendazim, and, if the agency identifies orange juice with carbendazim at levels that present a public health risk, it will alert the public and take the necessary action to ensure that the product is removed from the market.
FDA is also sampling import shipments of orange juice and will deny entry to shipments that test positive for carbendazim.
And the US EPA’s take? In the same letter from the FDA, it is stated that
The Environmental Protection Agency has conducted a preliminary risk assessment based on the recent reports of carbendazim in orange juice. Based on that risk assessment, EPA has concluded that consumption of orange juice with carbendazim at the low levels that have been reported does not raise safety concerns.
Where can I get more information?
- The International Program on Chemical Safety has comprehensive information on carbendazim: http://www.inchem.org/documents/pds/pds/pest89_e.htm
- Haz-Map provides summary information on the fungicide and its uses: http://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/hazmap_generic?tbl=TblAgents&id=4217
- Pesticide Action Network UK provides a useful summary of concerns surrounding carbendazim – its environmental impact in particular – published in 2002. http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Actives/Carbenda.htm
- In 1993 the World Health Organization published a comprehensive Environmental Health Criteria review of carbendazim: http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc149.htm
[Updated 11:06 am 1/12/12]
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