The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a second warning about Jermuk mineral water due to the presence of arsenic in their products. The FDA noted that their sampling of the Armenian-produced water found that it contained 454-674 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water, which is significantly greater than the 10 micrograms per liter allowed by the FDA.

The agency also announced that the related recall has expanded to include Jermuk products distributed in the United States by Andreas Andreasyan DBA Arnaz & Nelli Co. The product is called Jermuk Natural Mineral Water Fortified with Gas from the Spring, and the label also includes the tags “Produced by Sam-Har Co. Republic of Armenia” and “Exclusive Distributor in USA: Arnaz & Nelli Inc.”

Earlier in March, the FDA announced a recall of four other Jermuk products: Jermuk Original Sparkling Natural Mineral Water Fortified with Natural Gas from the Spring (sold in the U.S. by Zetlian Bakery, Inc.); Jermuk, 1951, Natural Mineral Water, Jermuk Mayr Gortsaran CJSC (also sold by Zetlian); Jermuk Sodium Calcium Bicarbonate and Sulphate Mineral Water (sold by Importers Direct Wholesale Co.); and Jermuk, Natural Mineral Water Sparkling (sold by Kradjian Importing Company).

Arsenic is a known carcinogen, and overexposure to arsenic can lead to short-term symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Prolonged exposure can lead to kidney, liver, skin, cardiovascular, and nervous-systems problems and possibly cancer and death.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 26th, 2007 at 1:32 pm and is filed under Health Concerns, Toxic Substances.