High Arsenic Levels in Bottled Water
Testing by Consumer Reports has revealed that there are potentially harmful levels of arsenic present in bottled water made by Whole Foods. Most of Whole Foods’ U.S. stores sell Starkey Spring Water. Amazon, which owns the grocery store chain, also sells the bottled water brand. (1)
Arsenic is a potentially dangerous heavy metal, and the FDA requires that manufacturers limit the amount of it in bottled water to 10 parts per billion. Consumer Reports found that Starkey Spring Water had amounts of arsenic approaching the limit, ranging from 9.49 to 9.56 parts per billion. (1)
Although these numbers do comply with federal regulations, Consumer Reports does not believe that it does enough to protect public health. While drinking one bottle of Starkey Spring Water will likely not have any negative health implications, consuming it regularly could. James Dickerson, Ph.D., CR’s chief scientific officer said that “regular consumption of even small amounts of the heavy metal over extended periods increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and lower IQ scores in children, and poses other health issues as well.” (1)
History of Issues with Whole Foods Water
This is not the first time there have been issues with arsenic levels in this brand of bottled water. When Starkey Spring Water was first introduced in 2015, the company’s chief operating officer, A.C. Gallo, told investors that “It’s amazingly pristine water” that “naturally flows out of the ground,” from a spring in Idaho. (1)
But in December 2016, Florida’s bottled water regulator found 11.7 parts per billion of arsenic in Starkey Spring Water. This exceeds federal regulations for the heavy metal. Some weeks later, more tests found 12 parts per billion of arsenic in other samples of the brand. Whole Foods recalled more than 2,000 cases of Starkey in late 2016 and early 2017. (1)
The FDA was alerted to these test results and responded with a health hazard evaluation. They listed the health risks associated with long-term ingestion of inorganic arsenic, which is the kind most often found in drinking water. The risks include “cancer, skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, neurodevelopmental toxicity, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and diabetes.” (1, 2)
Conflicting Standards
According to Consumer Reports, a Whole Foods spokesperson told them that the company’s “highest priority is to provide customers with safe, high-quality, and refreshing spring water.” An FDA spokesperson told Consumer Reports that arsenic occurs naturally. They said that “it is not possible to remove arsenic entirely from the environment or food supply.” (1)
However, Consumer Reports tested 45 bottled water brands between February and May of 2020. According to Brian Ronholm, Consumer Reports’ director of food policy and former head of the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, many of these brands had undetectable amounts of arsenic. This demonstrates that it’s possible to reduce the level of this heavy metal in drinking water. Starkey Spring Water was the only brand tested that had arsenic levels of more than 3 parts per billion. (1)
Some states have chosen to reduce the amount of arsenic allowed in tap water. This is based on studies about its effects when present in greater levels than 5 parts per billion. Starting on July 1, 2021, New Hampshire will limit its tap water’s arsenic levels to 5 parts per billion. (1)
States can create stricter limits for tap water but not for bottled water. As Consumer Reports states, “That puts Starkey Spring Water in the unusual position of being legal when put in a bottle but, in certain states, illegal if it came out of a household faucet.” (1)
