arsenic in rice

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Organic rice baby cereal, rice breakfast cereals, brown rice, white rice—new tests by Consumer Reports have found that those and other types of rice products on grocery shelves contain arsenic, many at worrisome levels.

Arsenic not only is a potent human carcinogen but also can set up children for other health problems in later life.

Following our January investigation, "Arsenic in Your Juice," which found arsenic in apple and grape juices, we recently tested more than 200 samples of a host of rice products. They included iconic labels and store brands, organic products and conventional ones; some were aimed at the booming gluten-free market.

The results of our tests were even more troubling in some ways than our findings for juice. In virtually every product tested, we found measurable amounts of total arsenic in its two forms. We found significant levels of inorganic arsenic, which is a carcinogen, in almost every product category, along with organic arsenic, which is less toxic but still of concern. Moreover, the foods we checked are popular staples, eaten by adults and children alike. See the chart summarizing results of our tests for arsenic in rice or rice products.

Though rice isn’t the only dietary source of arsenic—some vegetables, fruits, and even water can harbor it—the Environmental Protection Agency assumes there is actually no “safe” level of exposure to inorganic arsenic.

No federal limit exists for arsenic in most foods, but the standard for drinking water is 10 parts per billion (ppb). Keep in mind: That level is twice the 5 ppb that the EPA originally proposed and that New Jersey actually established. Using the 5-ppb standard in our study, we found that a single serving of some rices could give an average adult almost one and a half times the inorganic arsenic he or she would get from a whole day’s consumption of water, about 1 liter.

We also discovered that some infant rice cereals, which are often a baby’s first solid food, had levels of inorganic arsenic at least five times more than has been found in alternatives such as oatmeal. Given our findings, we suggest limiting the consumption of rice products. Use our recommendations.

Our study was a snapshot of the market, with many products purchased in the New York metropolitan area and online, to gauge the extent of arsenic’s presence in everyday foods. It can’t be used for overall conclusions about specific brands. Still, we found important trends:

* White rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas, which account for 76 percent of domestic rice, generally had higher levels of total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in our tests than rice samples from elsewhere.
* Within any single brand of rice we tested, the average total and inorganic arsenic levels were always higher for brown rice than for white.
* People who ate rice had arsenic levels that were 44 percent greater than those who had not, according to our analysis of federal health data. And certain ethnic groups were more highly affected, including Mexicans, other Hispanics, and a broad category that includes Asians.
* Reducing arsenic in food is feasible. We examined the efforts of two food companies, including Nature's One, trying to tackle the problem and learned about methods being used to try to reduce arsenic in products.
* Based on these findings, our experts are asking the Food and Drug Administration to set limits for arsenic in rice products and fruit juices as a starting point.




Rice producers argue that concerns about dietary exposure to arsenic in rice are overblown. “There is no documented evidence of actual adverse health effects from exposure to arsenic in U.S.-grown rice,” says Anne Banville, a vice president at the USA Rice Federation, a trade association representing the $34 billion rice industry. “And we believe the health benefits of rice must be properly weighed against the risks of arsenic exposure, which we believe are minimal.”

But scientists warn of complacency. “We already know that high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water result in the highest known toxic substance disease risks from any environmental exposure,” says Allan Smith, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley. “So we should not be arguing to wait for years until we have results of epidemiologic studies at lower arsenic intake, such as from rice consumption, to take action.” His studies of arsenic in public water in Chile and Argentina helped show that it causes lung and bladder cancer and other diseases.

Such long-term studies that track health effects of exposure to arsenic in rice have only recently begun in the U.S. Researchers at the Dartmouth Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center in late 2011 published a small but informative study that indicated consuming slightly more than a half-cup of cooked rice per day resulted in a significant increase in urinary arsenic levels, comparable to the effects of drinking a liter of water containing the federal maximum of 10 ppb arsenic. The authors say their results suggest “many people in the U.S. may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of arsenic through rice consumption.”


www.consumerreports.org/cro/arsenic1112.htm

[sistactry]

Re: arsenic in rice

disgusting,
its in apple juice, its in a lottt of things, and when do we find out about this,

years and years later, how the baxside we suppose to be healthy

[blugiant]

Re: arsenic in rice

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SistaCtry</div><div class="ubbcode-body">disgusting,
its in apple juice, its in a lottt of things, and when do we find out about this,

years and years later, how the baxside we suppose to be healthy </div></div>


sistactry arsenic iss a carcinogen so dem seyinn dat eatinn rice will eventual lead to peeps gittinn cancer ann addar diseases.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Exposure to high levels of arsenic can raise a person’s risk for cancer and heart disease, and young children who ingest too much may have lower IQs and poorer intellectual function, but food scientists don’t know whether the small amounts found in rice and other foods such as apple juice and cereal bars lead to long-term health consequences as the element accumulates in the body over time.

Studies have also demonstrated that the inorganic type of arsenic poses more problems than the organic type, but a maximum limit for both types of arsenic hasn’t been established for foods.</div></div>

de rice peeps seyinn dem need more lang term studee fee see de effect even dough de epa seyinn deer iss no safe level aff arsenic.

affii look fe rice wen natt grown inn de us

[blugiant]

Re: arsenic in rice

<span style="font-weight: bold"> 10 Ways to Get Arsenic Out of Your (and Your Kids') Diet</span>




Although scientists and government regulators have long known about the ever-present threat of arsenic in our diet and water, it was unsettling when two major reports came out on the same day last week, reminding us of the risk and the need to do what we can to minimize it.

Yes, arsenic. It's a naturally occurring mineral with a long history as a murder weapon, and, paradoxically, as a medicine, too. In some parts of the world, contamination levels are so high in food and water as to cause epidemics of skin, bladder, and lung cancer. In the United States, the effects might be harder to see, but they are still there. In 2001, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that people drinking arsenic-contaminated water at 10 parts per billion would have a 1-in-300 risk of developing cancer over their lifetimes. Recent research suggests that people ingest about that much arsenic in a just a half-cup serving of rice, not an unusual amount for millions of Americans.

The two new reports came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the highly regarded Consumer Reports magazine, and both focused on the worrisome amounts of arsenic in rice and popular rice-based processed foods.

We agree that there's reason to be concerned. Many rice-based foods and some fruit juices have arsenic levels much higher than are allowed in drinking water. And contrary to some denials from the food industry, the contamination does include the form of arsenic that poses a serious risk to our health. It's long overdue for federal agencies to set health-protective limits on arsenic in food, but they are not moving quickly.

In the meantime, here are 10 easy-to-use tips on how you can reduce your, and your family's, exposure:

1. Limit rice consumption. Try alternative grains like quinoa, barley, grits/polenta, couscous, or bulgur wheat.

The testing done by Consumer Reports confirmed that rice has much higher concentrations of arsenic than other grains, fruits, and vegetables. That's partly because rice is sometimes grown in fields that have been treated with arsenic-based pesticides in the past, but in many cases it's because rice plants have a natural tendency to take up and concentrate naturally occurring arsenic in the soil and water. The FDA says it needs to test 1,000 more rice samples to clarify which rice-growing areas present the greatest risk of contamination. But consumers can take protective steps while the FDA collects data and ponders regulation--a process that could take years.

2. If you're preparing rice, rinse it thoroughly. Boil brown rice in a lot of water (as you do pasta).

There's good research indicating that you can lower the amount of arsenic in rice by 30 to 40 percent if you take this simple step (the more water the better). Unfortunately, white rice doesn't hold up well to this kind of cooking, but you can reduce arsenic levels somewhat by rinsing white rice before you cook it.

3. Vary your diet. Look for alternatives to rice-based processed foods; turn to breakfast cereals, rice flour, rice pasta, rice cakes, and crackers instead.

Growing awareness that many people are sensitive to the gluten in wheat-based processed foods has led to a proliferation of rice-based products, but they're not the only gluten-free option. Good alternatives to Rice Krispies-type breakfast cereals include toasted oats, puffed corn, or whole grains like millet. You can also find flour mixes that contain no rice or gluten for baking.

4. Limit products that list rice syrup as a sweetener.

You don't think of rice as a component of snack and nutrition bars, but a recent study by scientists at Dartmouth College found high arsenic levels in processed foods sweetened with brown rice syrup, which are often aimed at the natural foods market. EWG has concerns about the study and its interpretation in the media, but the underlying issue of brown rice syrup remains. Read labels to avoid this sweetener wherever possible.

5. Check your drinking water.

Arsenic taints drinking water in many parts of the United States. Check EWG's Tap Water Database to see if it's been detected in your water. If you drink well water, contact your local health department to find out if arsenic could be a problem in your well, or get it tested--it's not expensive and it's worth the investment.

What parents can do to protect babies and children:

6. Instead of rice cereal as the first solid food for babies, try orange vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and squash, bananas, and avocados.

Parents were once advised to start infants with fortified rice cereals, which were touted as non-allergenic and nutritive, but nutritional guidance is shifting. With some exceptions, parents are no longer being encouraged to delay introducing potentially allergenic foods. Soft fruits, vegetables, or even meats are great first sources of complementary nutrients for a breast- or formula-fed baby.

7. Switch to non-rice baby cereals, such as oatmeal or mixed grains.

Powdered cereals are convenient and often used to thicken baby purees, but Consumer Reports found more than 95 parts per billion of arsenic in every brand of infant rice cereals it tested, nearly 10 times the legal limit for drinking water. Look for non-rice whole grain or oat cereals, or make your own by blending oats in a food processor and then cooking them with water.

8. Limit certain fruit juices to a maximum of one-half to one cup a day.

Arsenic-based pesticides were used on fruit orchards in the early 1900s, and soil contamination remains an ongoing source of arsenic in tree fruits and grapes. Testing shows that some samples of apple, grape, and pear juices and juice blends have moderate amounts of arsenic. And there's another reason that pediatricians recommend limiting any and all juice in children's diets: They're high in sugar and can crowd out other foods that provide essential nutrients.

9. Avoid brown rice syrup as a sweetener in processed foods for kids.

The arsenic in rice is concentrated in rice syrup, which is sometimes used as a sweetener in snack bars, non-dairy beverages, and one brand of toddler formula. In previous testing, the one toddler formula made with rice syrup, Nature's Gate toddler formula, had high concentrations of arsenic in its dairy- and soy-based formulas. Consumer Reports noted that the company has recently found a source of rice syrup that is processed to remove arsenic for its dairy-based formula. (Look for use-by dates of January 2014 for Dairy with DHA and ARA Formula, or July 2015 for Dairy.) Apparently, the company has not yet addressed the issue of arsenic in its soy formula.

10. Do not use rice milk as a dairy substitute for cow's milk.

Britain's Food Safety Authority cautions parents to avoid rice milk as a dairy alternative for toddlers ages 1 to 4½. Consumer Reports tested two common brands for arsenic and found that all samples exceeded EPA's drinking water limit of 10 parts per billion. The range in rice milk was 17 to 70 parts per billion.

Look for other non-dairy drinks and make sure they don't list rice syrup as a sweetener. In many cases, dairy-sensitive children can be given water and other dietary sources of calcium instead of a highly processed dairy substitute.

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