Arsenic in Rice
Arsenic is common and natural in soil, and leaches into water*. Rice takes up arsenic from the flooded fields that it grows in. In recent years there has been a realization that rice contains high levels of arsenic, which is a particular concern for people on the gluten-free diet who may be consuming more rice than average. See The Unintended Consequences of a Gluten-Free Diet (those on a GF diet had twice the amount of arsenic in their system)
Rice can be grown in such a way that it absorbs little or no arsenic. The following 3 specific brands/products have been tested and found to have low levels.
Rice can be grown in such a way that it absorbs little or no arsenic. The following 3 specific brands/products have been tested and found to have low levels.
Low-arsenic rice:
2) a white rice sample that is below the limit of detection of 4.9 ppb
3) a brown rice sample that is 5.1 ppb
- Blue Moon Acres rice: From their website: "No Heavy Metal Concerns: It was only recently that high levels of arsenic were discovered in rice in the US and around the world. Our rice has been tested to show Arsenic levels so low they are at or near levels considered ‘drinking water’ safe. View our tests here."
- Mighty Rice (NOT currently available but expected to return soon to Amazon and Target). Mighty Rice also has the advantage of being low-glycemic
Mighty Rice test results:
2) a white rice sample that is below the limit of detection of 4.9 ppb
3) a brown rice sample that is 5.1 ppb
- Lotus Foods Madagascar Pink Rice (Two results have been reported by Lotus: 3 ppb, 14 ppb). Available at Fresh Thyme or Amazon. An older quote from Lotus Foods Facebook page: "Our pink rice from Madagascar, grown using More Crop Per Drop methods, has the lowest arsenic content of all our rices evaluated, with only .014 mg/kg (that is 14 ppb)."
If using other types of rice, here are ways to greatly reduce the arsenic:
- Thoroughly rinse the rice before cooking
- Cook in excess water (the same as cooking pasta)
- Avoid brown rice, it has about twice the arsenic as white rice
- Don't use rice bran, it is very high in arsenic
- When buying gluten-free products, choose products made with grains other than rice
- Relying on the growing area to choose a lower-arsenic rice is not reliable
For background on the issue, including an opposing viewpoint, see:
2014 Consumer Reports test results and article: How much arsenic is in your rice? Consumer Reports' new data and guidelines are important for everyone but especially for gluten avoiders
2017: The Misguided War on Rice (an opposing point of view, and the author's background)
2014 Consumer Reports test results and article: How much arsenic is in your rice? Consumer Reports' new data and guidelines are important for everyone but especially for gluten avoiders
2017: The Misguided War on Rice (an opposing point of view, and the author's background)
Additional resources:
2021: Baby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury
Staff Report Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy Committee on Oversight and Reform U.S. House of Representatives
Staff Report Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy Committee on Oversight and Reform U.S. House of Representatives
- One of the recommendations from this report is that parents should avoid baby foods that contain ingredients testing high in toxic heavy metals, such as rice products.
Lundberg rice test results
2012 Consumer Reports test results (the third column of numbers is inorganic arsenic in ppb).
2012 Consumer Reports test results (the third column of numbers is inorganic arsenic in ppb).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Test Results for Inorganic Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products. In these results, the serving size used for rice was 45 g per serving based on dry weight. You may see test results reported as micrograms (mcg) of arsenic per serving. For dry rice grain, 1 microgram per serving is equal to 22.2 parts per billion (ppb).
Codex Alimentarius Commission see their section titled Maximum Levels for Inorganic Arsenic in Polished Rice. Their arsenic fact sheet states:
The symptoms and signs caused by long-term elevated exposure to inorganic arsenic differ between individuals, population groups and geographical areas. Thus, there is no universal definition of the disease caused by arsenic. This complicates the assessment of the burden on health of arsenic.
Similarly, there is no method to distinguish cases of cancer caused by arsenic from cancers induced by other factors. As a result, there is no reliable estimate of the magnitude of the problem worldwide.
The symptoms and signs caused by long-term elevated exposure to inorganic arsenic differ between individuals, population groups and geographical areas. Thus, there is no universal definition of the disease caused by arsenic. This complicates the assessment of the burden on health of arsenic.
Similarly, there is no method to distinguish cases of cancer caused by arsenic from cancers induced by other factors. As a result, there is no reliable estimate of the magnitude of the problem worldwide.
Arsenic and Rice: a new dimension to food safety, a powerpoint presentation by Tricia Thompson, RD.
Rethinking Rice Preparation for Highly Efficient Removal of Inorganic Arsenic Using Percolating Cooking Water
and an interesting comment appeared on the article: Although the cooker concept reported in this paper can indeed remove iAs, other testing by the US-FDA (submitted for publication) has shown that such cooking removes as high fraction of key nutrients which are important in reducing risk from iAs such as folate. And in the US, where rice is fortified with Fe and a number of vitamins (including folate) the bags advise against cooking with excess water because it will remove the fortification nutrients. Thus it is clear that such a method should not be used when rice is enriched to improve the nutritional quality of the food. And it is highly questionable whether removing iAs and folate by excess water cooking would be good nutritional advice.
Further, in the countries where high iAs in ingested rice contributes to risk, use of contaminated water adds significantly to iAs in the rice because iAs in the water becomes chemically bound to protein SH groups in the rice. High iAs water (drinking and especially cooking) remains the most important source of iAs risk to populations.
and an interesting comment appeared on the article: Although the cooker concept reported in this paper can indeed remove iAs, other testing by the US-FDA (submitted for publication) has shown that such cooking removes as high fraction of key nutrients which are important in reducing risk from iAs such as folate. And in the US, where rice is fortified with Fe and a number of vitamins (including folate) the bags advise against cooking with excess water because it will remove the fortification nutrients. Thus it is clear that such a method should not be used when rice is enriched to improve the nutritional quality of the food. And it is highly questionable whether removing iAs and folate by excess water cooking would be good nutritional advice.
Further, in the countries where high iAs in ingested rice contributes to risk, use of contaminated water adds significantly to iAs in the rice because iAs in the water becomes chemically bound to protein SH groups in the rice. High iAs water (drinking and especially cooking) remains the most important source of iAs risk to populations.
EPA rule: Arsenic in Drinking Water The maximum arsenic contaminant level is 10 ppb. The goal is 0 ppb.
EPA Toxicity and Exposure Assessment for Children’s Health
U.S. ATSDR Minimal Risk Level (MRL): 0.0003 mg/kg/day (chronic oral), based on dermatological
effects (= 0.3 mcg/kg/day = 0.136 mcg/lb/day)
U.S. ATSDR Minimal Risk Level (MRL): 0.0003 mg/kg/day (chronic oral), based on dermatological
effects (= 0.3 mcg/kg/day = 0.136 mcg/lb/day)
The developmental neurotoxicity of arsenic: cognitive and behavioral consequences of early life exposure.
interview of co-author
interview of co-author
SRI (System for Rice Intensification) is a worldwide initiative that includes growing rice in dryer conditions. This has many benefits including reducing the amount of arsenic in the rice. Cornell SRI International Network
Jim Carrey's Better U Foundation
Jim Carrey's Better U Foundation
Rice industry links
Units of concentration:
milligram per gram (mg/g) = part per thousand
milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) = part per million
microgram per gram (µg/g) = part per million
nanogram per gram (ng/g) = part per billion
gram per cubic meter (g/m3) = part per million
milligram per liter (mg/L) = part per million
microgram per liter (µg/L) = part per billion
nanogram per liter (ng/L) = part per trillion
milligram per gram (mg/g) = part per thousand
milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) = part per million
microgram per gram (µg/g) = part per million
nanogram per gram (ng/g) = part per billion
gram per cubic meter (g/m3) = part per million
milligram per liter (mg/L) = part per million
microgram per liter (µg/L) = part per billion
nanogram per liter (ng/L) = part per trillion
The FAO states that "In addition to skin cancer, long-term exposure to arsenic may also cause cancers of the bladder and lungs". Whereas, in the Incidence of malignancies in diagnosed celiac patients: a population-based estimate it states that 5 years after the diagnosis of celiac disease (during which time, presumably, many people with CD increase their consumption of rice), the risk of lung and bladder cancer is decreased. (The risk of basal cell carcinoma of the skin is increased).
From King Arthur Flour, regarding their gluten free brown rice flour: It’s stabilization process is proprietary, but it is a physical (heat &/or moisture &/or pressure), not chemical, means of stabilization. (My guess: microwave heating and/or steam)
Caremoli produces stabilized brown rice flour.
Rice is good for when you're hungry and want to eat 2000 of something. -Mitch Hedberg