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FDA Proposes Limit On Arsenic In Rice

baby eating rice cereal

There's an almost 50-50 chance there is too much inorganic arsenic in your rice cereal. That's according to a recent risk assessment by the Food and Drug Administration, released April 1.

According to the New York Times, the FDA tested 76 rice cereals for infants and found that 47 percent contained more arsenic than the current proposed limit of 100 parts per billion.

The FDA proposed a limit of 100 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal, the same limit the European Union proposed last year.

This is the first time the FDA is proposing regulating inorganic arsenic in foods, despite concerns from researchers and public health advocates for years. A 2011 Dartmouth study suggested arsenic in the urine of pregnant women increased with rice consumption.

Arsenic is an organic substance that is naturally distributed in the Earth's crust. But inorganic arsenic (meaning it contains no carbon atoms) comes from the use of fertilizers and pesticides containing arsenic. Arsenic has been outlawed in pesticides since the 1980s, but because it doesn't break down like some other toxins, it routinely ends up in our food and drinking water.

Inorganic arsenic levels can vary widely between different types of rice and the geographical regions in which it's grown. For instance, brown rice retains more arsenic because it retains more parts of the whole grain.

In a statement, the FDA did not suggest that parents and pregnant women avoid rice altogether, but instead suggested they vary the types of cereals consumed, like oats and barley.

But some -- like Andrew Meharg, who studies arsenic in food at Queens University in Belfast -- say the FDA isn't doing enough. "In my opinion this standard is set too high, and 50 parts per billion, or lower, is achievable,"Â he said.

Meharg also added that the US should be regulating other foods that contain arsenic, and that the limits in processed foods don't cover foods prepared at home.

Read More:



  • F.D.A. Proposes a Limit on Arsenic in Rice Cereal for Babies (New York Times)
  • FDA Warns Of Arsenic In Infants' Rice (Forbes)
  • FDA Statement on Testing and Analysis of Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products (FDA)


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