Fruit juice has been falling out of favor for its high sugar content and low nutritional value. Now parents have another reason to pull the plug: heavy metals.

According to a study released Wednesday by Consumer Reports, measurable levels of cadmium, inorganic arsenic, mercury, or lead were found in every one of the 45 juice products it tested from major brands sold across the United States. Almost half of the juices had metal levels so high they were deemed “concerning,’’ with seven of the products posting heavy metal concentrations high enough to harm children who drink as little as 4 ounces a day.

To be fair, it would be impossible to remove all heavy metals from food and drinks, since some can occur naturally, said James Dickerson, Consumer Reports’ chief scientific officer.

Toxins can find their way into foods through water, air, and soil, or they can be added unintentionally at manufacturing plants or in product packaging.

Organic juice, or juice marketed for children, isn’t necessarily safer: Neither group performed any better than other juices, Consumer Reports found.

In general, grape juice and juice blends had the highest average heavy metal levels, the report said.

bloomberg news