The FDA Is No Match for Dr. Oz's Infowar Against Apple Juice
Orange juice concentrate futures are shooting up right now, thanks to news that traces of a fungicide banned in the United States was detected in juice from a brand the FDA didn't name. The Journal reports, "January-delivery orange juice on ICE Futures U.S. surged 9.3 percent to $2.12 per pound, the highest price since November 1977," which if we recall correctly from Trading Places, means someone should check on the Duke brothers. The chemical at the center of the orange juice price spike, called carbendazim, is used in Brazil, which exports to the United States, and while the amount found in the juice is miniscule at 35 parts per billion, news that the FDA would increase its testing sparked a market rally that has pushed up the price of orange juice concentrate to its highest level in more than 34 years. The rally struck us as odd at first. Why would people pay more for a contaminated product? But The Journal explains "the report spurred concerns that supplies of orange juice would be constricted."
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments
or send an email to the author at
amartin at theatlantic dot com.
You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Adam Martin
| Related Articles | More by Adam Martin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Have a story we missed? A link we have to click? A sharp opinion about the news? Instead of waiting for us to post it, tell us on the Open Wire.
Submit your news and ideas | See all reader posts
User Comments
Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register