(Consumer Reports) - Rice is a staple in many people's
diets. There's white rice, brown rice, rice cakes, crackers, and cereal. It's often a baby's first food.
But Consumer Reports' tests of 32 rices and dozens of rice products find all contained arsenic.
And lab tests show many of the samples had troubling levels of
inorganic arsenic - the most toxic form.
According to Consumer Reports, inorganic arsenic is a known
human carcinogen that has been linked to skin, lung, and bladder
cancer.
There are federal limits for the amount of arsenic allowed in
drinking water, but none for rice and most other foods.
Consumer Reports' investigation also found there was often more arsenic in brown rice than in white.
"We aren't able to draw conclusions about specific brands because our tests are limited," said Consumer Reports' Andrea rock. "But the analysis we did of government data shows
that for Americans who eat rice, it is a significant source of arsenic exposure."
The USA Rice Federation, an industry trade group, insists
"There is no documented evidence of actual adverse health effects from exposure to arsenic in U.S. grown rice."
"We already know that even low levels of arsenic exposure increase your risk of cancer and other health problems," Rock said. "We don't want to alarm people, but we do recommend that you limit the amount of rice that you eat."
And research shows that rinsing rice thoroughly and cooking it in lots of water as you do with pasta can reduce arsenic levels.
For babies, Consumer Reports recommends no more than
a quarter-cup of rice cereal per day. And you can also substitute with oatmeal, wheat or corn cereal, which are lower in arsenic.
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Additional information can be found on the website of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the government's study on this same topic.