New tests conducted by Consumer Reports have found that many rice products contain arsenic— some at worrisome levels.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies arsenic as a “group 1” carcinogen, meaning it’s among the world’s most potent cancer inducers. And currently there’s no federal limit for arsenic in most foods, including rice and rice-based products.
While arsenic is a naturally occurring element, the scientific journal Nature reported in 2005 that U.S.-grown rice contained an average of 1.4 to 5 times more arsenic than rice grown in Europe, India, and Bangladesh. What gives?
Our agricultural industry has a rich history of using arsenic. While its use in pesticides was banned in the 1980s, residues still linger in our soils. Rice cultivated on land once used for rearing cotton has some of the highest levels of arsenic contamination. Adding to the problem is the U.S. poultry industry’s current use of arsenic in chicken feed.
Rice, a crop grown in water-flooded conditions, absorbs arsenic through contaminated run-off from chicken farms. And some rice farmers use ever-abundant chicken manure as fertilizer, a practice that has been shown to improve overall rice growth and yield.
Recently, three members of Congress introduced the “R.I.C.E. Act,” which would limit the amount of arsenic permitted in rice and rice-based products.
To avoid exposure in the interim, Consumer Reports recommends that adults eat not more than two quarter-cup servings per week – even less for children. Who thought eating organic brown rice could be so unhealthy?
Web Links
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/09/waiter-theres-arsenic-my-rice
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm
Photo, taken on July 13, 2010, courtesy of CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture via Flickr.