High Levels of Arsenic In America's Most Famous Brands, Claims Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles has alleged that popular wine labels from California contain high levels of arsenic.

According to Business Insider, of the 1,300 bottles of wine tested, 83 were found to have high levels of arsenic. The lawsuit has claimed that the levels were found to be dangerously high, in some cases as a high as 500 percent higher than permissible levels. Some of the most popular brands consumed in America including Franzia, Corbel, Cupcake, Smoking Loon wines and Two Buck Chuck, have been named.

The brands of wine mentioned by the plaintiffs cost between $ 5 and $ 10.  The lawsuit claims that wine was tested by three independent laboratories to find higher permissible levels of arsenic.

"Out of 1,306 tests only 83 came back. We know that the vast majority of the wine business is safe. If you're spending $20 on a bottle of wine you're not going to have concerns most likely," plaintiffs' attorney Brian Kabateck told New York Daily News.

High levels of arsenic are associated with cancer and other metabolic disorders. The lawsuit demands recall of labels and refunds to consumers.

However, the wine industry group has termed the allegations baseless. The group has argued that the arsenic tests were carried out with reference ranges for water, which are much lower than that for wine. By such standards, multiple bottles of wine would have to be consumed in a day for arsenic to have any effect, the ground argued.