Worst tier · Bottled water
Starkey Spring Water (Whole Foods)
CR measured ~9.49–9.56 ppb arsenic — below the FDA/EPA 10 ppb federal cap but ~3× CR's recommended bottled-water limit.
AvoidLegal — but at 3× the level CR recommends for daily bottled water.
Why it ranks
Consumer Reports measured Starkey Spring Water (Whole Foods' house brand) at approximately 9.49–9.56 ppb arsenic. That is below the FDA/EPA 10 ppb federal cap, so the product is legal to sell — but CR recommends bottled water arsenic ≤3 ppb, particularly for daily consumers. At ~3× CR's limit and with daily use, this is a meaningful avoidable arsenic exposure given other Whole Foods spring waters tested non-detect.
Highlights
- Federally legal in the cited 2020 samples — under the FDA/EPA 10 ppb cap
- Spring source with a long-running brand
Caveats
- CR measurement: ~9.49–9.56 ppb arsenic — ~3× CR's 3 ppb bottled-water recommendation
- Daily consumers stack avoidable arsenic exposure over time
- Other Whole Foods spring waters tested non-detect — pick those instead
- Reformulation history: Whole Foods has issued public statements after CR reporting
Testing method
Consumer Reports — ICP-MS arsenic panel