What You Need to Know About Arsenic in Your Food

Maybe you’re not a big rice eater, but chances are you have some rice-based eats on your pantry shelves, whether it’s a box of Rice Krispies or a package of rice cakes. Here’s the scary part: Along with those spoonfuls of cereal or mouthfuls of cracker, you’re also consuming arsenic, sometimes at worrying levels, according to reports issued recently by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports looked at 223 samples of everyday rice-based foods, from boxed rice to infant cereal to rice pasta, a staple for those on gluten-free diets. Researchers used the standard set by New Jersey on arsenic levels in drinking water—5 ppb (five micrograms of arsenic per liter of water). Why use the Garden State as an example? Because its regulations are even more stringent than those set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Experts found the levels of inorganic arsenic, the toxic kind, in many rice products often exceeded New Jersey’s drinking water levels.

But those aren’t the only foods that have been tested for arsenic. In early 2012, the consumer magazine found worrying levels of the chemical in apple and grape juice. And a study by researchers at Dartmouth University found large amounts of arsenic in formulas, cereals, and energy bars sweetened with brown-rice syrup, usually seen as a healthier alternative to high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners.

Wondering how arsenic got into your food in the first place?

Although we tend to think of arsenic as the poison of choice in 19th century novels, the chemical occurs naturally in the soil, in rocks, and in water. Inorganic arsenic was also used in pesticides until the 1980s, so there’s a legacy of it in the soil. Most plants have low levels of arsenic, but because rice is grown in flooded paddies and takes up arsenic more efficiently from the water, it contains more of the carcinogen than, say, wheat or barley, says Brian Jackson, Ph.D., an associate professor of earth sciences at Dartmouth and the lead author of the study that looked at brown-rice syrup.

While your body flushes out arsenic pretty efficiently in two to three days, the danger comes from long-term, low-level exposure, says Jackson. If you ingest it every day along with your breakfast cereal, snacks, and water, it can up your risk for bladder, lung, skin, and prostate cancer and decrease production of your red and white blood cells. Young kids, because of their smaller, developing bodies, are even more at risk, says Jackson.

Until the FDA sets standards on arsenic levels in food, which the agency promises to do soon, how can you protect yourself and your grandkids from consuming too much?
 

• Swap in other grains. Cut down on your rice consumption and serve up a variety of other whole grains like amaranth, quinoa, or wheat berries, suggests Eileen Behan, a registered dietitian and a member of the American Dietetic Association. “We’re scared of cooking grains, but really, all grains cook the same way. You need heat, liquid, and time,” she says. The same advice goes for the rice cereal your grandbaby eats. One serving a day is okay, say experts, but if you plan on giving her more, try oat or barley cereal instead.


• Change your cooking style. If you can’t give up rice, you can reduce the arsenic levels by rinsing off the rice before you put it in the pot. Then cook it Asian style, says Behan—one cup rice to six cups liquid. When it’s done, drain the excess liquid. You may lose some of the B vitamins and iron along with the water, but you’ll also lose the arsenic.


• Go white. Brown rice is higher in arsenic than white or Basmati rice. If you switch to white, make sure you don’t lose brown rice’s nutritional benefits by getting your whole grains from other sources like oatmeal or whole-wheat couscous, says Behan. 


• Limit juice. Stick to juice limits set by the American Academy of Pediatrics: Serve your grandkids no more than four to six ounces of juice a day, says Behan, who’s also the author of the Baby Food Bible. And if you’re really worried about apple and grape juice, switch to cranberry or OJ.


• Don’t go crazy.  Consumer Reports found that the rice grown in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Missouri had higher levels of arsenic than rice grown in California or India. Unfortunately, most labels don’t say where the rice comes from. Your best bet: Read the ingredients as best you can, eat rice products in moderation, and vary your diet, says Jackson.