Making sense of arsenic and rice

Brown Rice

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/EW-12-07-12-Rice-Arsenic-II.mp3|titles=EW 12-07-12 Rice (Arsenic) II]

A few months back, we ran a segment on a disturbing trend seen in rice. Elevated levels of arsenic have been recorded in U.S. rice, with crops from Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas exhibiting the highest levels. More than 75% of domestic rice is grown in these regions.

It’s suspected that rice is being contaminated by arsenic left in soils from past farming practices. For much of the 20^th Century, these states supported cotton crops and farmers relied on lead arsenate to combat pests like the boll weevil.

Arsenic levels found in rice exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe drinking water standards. We have little insight about how food exposure is affecting children, pregnant women, and people that eat a diet rich in rice. But we do know that arsenic exposure has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and intellectual impairment.

Interestingly, brown rice carries higher levels of toxic arsenic. When rice is polished, and the hull is removed, a percentage of the arsenic is also removed. This does not bode well for consumers who enjoy brown rice. And it has a ripple effect on products that use brown rice sweeteners, such as baby foods.

The Food and Drug Administration is assessing arsenic levels in 1,200 rice and rice products. For now, FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamberg recommends, “consumers should continue to eat a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of grains, not only for good nutrition but also to minimize any potential consequences from consuming any one particular food.”