Orange Juice Imports Detained

The Food & Drug Administration has detected low levels of the fungicide carbendazim in 11 shipments of imported orange juice and orange juice concentrate, the agency announced on Jan. 27. FDA says the levels found do not pose a threat to human health, but the fungicide is not approved for use on oranges in the U.S. The agency did not allow any of the 11 shipments into the country. Six of the shipments came from Canada and five were from Brazil. Carbendazim is legally used on oranges in Brazil to prevent mold. Canada does not grow many oranges and relies heavily on imports from other countries, including Brazil. The Environmental Protection Agency and FDA have concluded that levels of carbendazim of up to 80 ppb in orange juice do not raise safety concerns. However, FDA is detaining any imported orange juice or orange juice concentrate that contains more than 10 ...