If your favorite drink happens to be apple juice, read this!

Apple juice is one of a child's favorite drinks, and many of us still choose it for breakfast. It tastes good when it's ice cold, right? 

Well, news outlets a while back revealed that studies have shown that apple juice contains very low levels of arsenic, a cancer-causing agent found in everything from water to soil to pesticides. According to an Associated Press report, the Food and Drug Administration is setting a new limit of arsenic allowed in apple juice, after more than a year of public pressure from consumer groups worried about the contaminant's effects on children.

According to industry groups, apple juice is second to orange juice in popularity. The FDA has monitored arsenic in apple juice for decades and has said the levels are not dangerous to consumers, including small children. Does this raise the alarm for you?

Everything will be alright, according to FDA. Under a new regulation, the agency is putting in place a strict standard on how much arsenic is acceptable, limiting it to the same level currently permitted in drinking water. FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told the AP that the overall supply of apple juice is "very safe and does not represent a threat to public health." 

The new standard targets inorganic arsenic which can be toxic and may pose a cancer risk if consumed at high levels over a long period of time. But don't fret, arsenic is present in the environment and in foods we eat including rice and chicken.

So, the apple juice is safe. Bottoms up!