Today, I ate zucchini and scrambled eggs for breakfast rather than rice cereal and rice milk.
That’s because Wednesday I wrote about Consumer Reports’ investigation on arsenic in
rice and rice products.
Consumer Reports found significant levels of
inorganic arsenic, which is a carcinogen, in almost every product category,
along with organic arsenic, which is less toxic but still of concern.
The FDA analysis
Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released preliminary data on arsenic
levels in selected rice and rice products.
The data are part of a larger FDA study on arsenic levels in rice and is based on the first
set of about 200 samples of rice and rice products collected in the United
States.
The FDA is in the process of analyzing about 1,200 rice samples. The study will be
completed by the end of 2012. At that time, the FDA will determine whether to
issue additional recommendations.
Based on the current data and scientific literature, the FDA doesn’t have an adequate
scientific basis to recommend changes by consumers about their consumption of
rice and rice products, the agency said in a statement.
No recommendations yet
“Our advice right now is that consumers should continue to eat a balanced diet that
includes a wide variety of grains – not only for good nutrition but also to
minimize any potential consequences from consuming any one particular food,”
said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D.
The two types of arsenic compounds found in water, food, air, and soil are organic and
inorganic. Together, the two types are referred to as total arsenic.
The data show how much inorganic arsenic the FDA found in its initial samples,
which include various brands of Basmati rice, non-Basmati rice, brown rice, rice
cakes, rice milk, and rice cereals – puffed, non-puffed, hot cereal, and infant
cereals.
Arsenic findings
The FDA’s analysis of these initial samples found average levels of inorganic
arsenic for the various rice and rice products of 3.5 to 6.7 micrograms of
inorganic arsenic per serving. Serving sizes varied depending on the rice
product. For example, one serving of non-Basmati rice was equal to one cup
cooked. A summary of the 200 sample findings can be found at www.fda.gov.
While the FDA preliminary data is consistent with results that Consumer Reports
published Wednesday, the agency said more analysis is needed. Many different
types of rice and rice products are grown in different areas and under
different conditions. Further analysis is needed to determine how these
variations may affect the arsenic levels, the FDA said.
Consumer Reports responds
Consumer Reports responded to the FDA preliminary findings, and those of the Illinois
Attorney General’s Office that detected high levels of inorganic arsenic in
infant rice cereals, by again calling for the FDA to set standards for arsenic
in food.
For more information, see Arsenic: Questions and Answers, FDA
Arsenic Data Analysis, and Consumer Update: FDA Looks for Answers on Arsenic in Rice.
