From the national public health view, the arsenic levels in rice are not currently a major concern. Arsenic is a nationally occurring substance found in water, air, soil and foods. It is a substance that the Food and Drug Administration has been monitoring for decades in our food and water supply.
There are two types of arsenic: organic and inorganic. The latter is the most toxic form of the substance; however, the total arsenic content includes both inorganic and organic together. Of interest, arsenic, while naturally occurring, can also be placed into the environment by manmade means such as pesticides. Unlike many other plants, rice can easily absorb arsenic – both naturally occurring as well as manmade.
According to the FDA’s 2013 report on total arsenic levels in food products, “the amount of detectable arsenic is too low in the rice and rice product samples to cause any immediate or short-term adverse health effects.” The report tested 1,100 types of rice and rice products including rice beverages, rice cereals, brown rice, white rice, and basmati rice. It is noted that wild rice (which was tested when it was contained within a rice product) is not actually rice but a grain that comes from a grass.
In the rice tested, the average level of arsenic was shown to be between 2.6 and 7.2 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving– considered very low. Instant white rice came out on the low end with brown rice on the high end. Rice products (such as cereals and beverages) were even lower from 0.1 to 6.6 micrograms per serving.
But, what is considered high? Interestingly, there is no federal limit for arsenic in rice and rice products. Research suggests that level be set at 1 microgram, but there has been no movement to make that a standard number. Regulations for safe arsenic levels in foods are basically non-existent across the country and even the world. In fact, neither the World Health Organization nor European Union has set regulations for arsenic levels in rice. The only exception is China, where rice is a dietary staple.
In contrast, there is a safe level of arsenic content posted for drinking water: .010 parts per million (or 10 parts per billion). That regulation went into full effect in January 2006.
The Consumer Reports story indicates that certain rice products contain levels of inorganic arsenic high enough that should be of concern for human consumption – especially if consumed as a regular part of the diet. Consumer Reports food safety experts were most concerned with baby and infant foods that contain rice, such as infant rice cereal. According to Consumer Reports, babies should eat no more than one serving of infant rice cereal per day and that other grains should be substituted in their daily diets.
The FDA states that a mix of grains is necessary for a healthy diet regardless of age: infants, toddlers, and adults alike. They further noted that parents should “consider other options than rice cereal for a child’s first solid food” even though they did not connect arsenic levels in foods to their comment.
Arsenic is a poison and has been linked to various poor health outcomes such as lung cancer, lung disease, liver cancer, cardiovascular disease, and potentially diabetes. Studies on arsenic ingestion indicate that existing water threshold levels may still be high enough to cause adverse health effects. Without food thresholds, the risks of significant health problems will only grow.
Regardless of the level of arsenic, it is important to realize that it does exist in rice and rice products. Consumer Reports has a few suggestions that may help you lower your arsenic intake when consuming rice products. First, it recommends rinsing your raw rice before cooking it. This process will help remove residue, including arsenic, from your rice. Second, the report suggests cooking your rice in more water than required (6 cups water to 1 cup rice) and drain the excess afterward. Research has shown that both rinsing and using more water than will be absorbed will remove 30% of the rice’s inorganic arsenic content.
Some of the rice that Consumer Reports tested included Basmati, Quinoa, Buckwheat, White rice, Brown rice, and Millet. Here are the results, which may help you with your next grocery store trip:
·
Basmati Rice (specifically from California):
lowest in arsenic content
·
White Rice (specifically from Texas): highest in
arsenic content
·
Brown Rice: high in arsenic content
·
Quinoa & Buckwheat: low in arsenic
·
Millet: less arsenic than rice
Works used for this article:
Consumer Reports. (2014). How much arsenic is in your rice? Consumer Reports’ new data and guidelines are important for everyone but especially for gluten avoiders. Retrieved from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm
Munera-Picazo, S., Ramfrez-Gandolfo, A., Burlo, F., and Carbonell-Barrachina, A. A. (2014). Inorganic and total arsenic contents in rice-based foods for children with celiac disease. Journal of Food Science, 79(1), T122-T128. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.12310
Sebastien, S. (2014). Time to revisit arsenic regulations: comparing drinking water and rice. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 182-192. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-465
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2014). Arsenic in drinking water. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/arsenic/index.cfm
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2013). FDA statement on testing and analysis of arsenic in rice and rice products. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm367263.htm
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