New tests heighten calls for limits on arsenic in rice

Peter Aldhous, San Francisco bureau chief
Pressure is mounting on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set a limit on concentrations of arsenic in rice, in the wake of two studies finding significant amounts of the toxic element in rice products on grocery shelves.The magazine Consumer Reports commissioned tests of more than 200 samples of 60 types of rice and rice products, measuring concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic - the most toxic form. These tests revealed that 24 of the products could deliver a dose of more than 5 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving.

That's about the same exposure that would result from drinking half a litre of water containing 10 parts per billion of toxic arsenic - the federal limit for drinking water.

The FDA also today released its own tests on nearly 200 samples of rice and rice products, with very similar conclusions.
While many food products may contain small quantities of arsenic, rice is particularly prone to contamination. Not only does the solubility of arsenic increase in the sodden, oxygen-poor soil in which the crop is usually grown, but the element also hitches a ride into on the chemical transport that has system evolved to pick up silicon, an important component of rice husks.What's unclear is how hazardous the concentrations found by Consumer Reports and the FDA are to human health. Unlike arsenic consumed by drinking tainted water, not all of the arsenic in rice will be digested and become available for absorption into the body, notes Brian Jackson, an environmental analytical chemist at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.?
While arsenic is a known carcinogen, receiving a dose higher than federal limit for drinking water from a meal containing rice should not pose a major problem, as long as it is not a daily occurrence. "Most people are not eating the same diet every day," says Jackson.

But he notes that certain populations, especially Asian Americans, consume rice as a staple, which will put them at higher risk.

Consumer Reports is now calling for strict limits for arsenic contamination of rice. However, the FDA says it first needs to conduct further studies, including tests on an additional 1000 samples.

"It's a priority for us to complete the analysis to decide what levels to set and what other steps to take. We're not prepared, based on preliminary data, to advise people to change their eating patterns."

The USA Rice Federation, which represents rice growers, millers and merchants, released a statement arguing that rice remains ?a safe part of a healthy diet:

"The rice industry is committed to ensuring the quality and safety of rice and rice-based products. We will continue to work with regulators, including FDA, food scientists, nutritionists and manufacturers as they examine the issue."

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