Lawsuit: Some California Wines Contain High Levels Of Arsenic
SACRAMENTO (CBS Sacramento) - A class action lawsuit filed in California claims some of the nation's top selling wines contain high levels of arsenic: 10 parts per billion.
Plaintiffs say the arsenic level in some wines is four to five times the amount allowed by the EPA for drinking water.
"The industry, we believe, is not properly regulated, but the state of California has recognized the 10 parts per billion is a dangerous amount," attorney Brian Kabateck told CBS News. He's suing 24 California wine makers and sellers, accusing them of misrepresenting their wine as safe.
Kevin Hicks founded BeverageGrades, a laboratory that analyzes wine. He tested more than 1,300 bottles of wine. Almost a quarter of them had levels higher than the EPA's maximum allowable amount of arsenic in drinking water.
"The lower the price of wine on a per-liter basis, the higher the amount of arsenic," Hicks explained to CBS News.
They included Trader Joe's famed Two-Buck Chuck White Zinfandel, which came in at three times the limit, a bottle of Ménage à Trois Moscato was four times the limit and a Franzia Blush had five times the EPA limit for drinking water.
The lawsuit comes after recent warnings about the amount of arsenic in apple juice and rice.
Two of the defendants responded to a CBS News inquiry. Treasury Wine estates said its "brands are fully compliant with all relevant federal and state guidelines," and Trader Joe's, which sells Two Buck Chuck, said "the concerns raised in your inquiry are serious and are being treated as such. We are investigating the matter with several of our wine producing suppliers."
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
