Fruit, whole or as juice, is an indispensible part of a healthy breakfast. Now, it seems, we have to watch out how our juices are packaged if we want to avoid causing the opposite to what we intend.
Scientists University of Copenhagen found that bottles of fruit juice and squash/cordial contain levels of antimony that were 2.5 times higher than deemed safe in drinking water under EU guidelines. In some cases the levels of antimony were ten times higher.
What is antimony? Antimony is often used in the production of PET bottles, the clear plastic bottles in which we like to buy our fruit juices.
The study has now shown that sugary drinks (fruit juices…) can be dangerous if bought and stored in these clear plastic bottles. Other studies have shown that the danger is not only that of cancer but also of disruption to our endocrine system. This means that this causes disruption to the functioning of our body’s own hormones.
Not a pretty picture? See for yourself:
You can read the full article on “Carcinogen antimony found in fruit juices” here.
Definitions and explanations of PET and antimony are most easily accessed at the Wiki articles on PET – Polyethylene terephthalate.
Here is a useful definition of Endocrine disruption and which chemicals cause it.
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WRONG. That publication is misleading. The limit on the antimony in such beverages is 40 µg/l not 5 µg/l. And the 5 µg/l limit applies BEFORE it goes into the pipes, not when it comes out in your house.