Due to the tremendous interest in Monday’s post on arsenic in rice, I felt it needed a follow-up. There’s a rumor going around that organic rice has no arsenic.
I wondered about this too–but thought it odd that Consumer Reports wouldn’t have noted that in their findings. That would have been a simple way to deal with the problem, right?Just eat organic. The truth of the matter is somewhat different.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration weighs in on this issue in an FAQ section about arsenic in rice on their website:
Do organic foods have less arsenic than non-organic foods?
The FDA is unaware of any data that shows a difference in the amount of arsenic found in organic rice vs. non-organic rice. Because arsenic is naturally found in the soil and water, it is absorbed by plants regardless of whether they are grown under conventional or organic farming practices.
Currently, there is no federal maximum on arsenic in food. The FDA said it hopes to complete its assessment by the end of the year to set science-based limits.
That said, based on the current data, the FDA is not recommending changes by consumers regarding their consumption of rice and rice products. They encourage consumers to eat a varied diet that includes other types of grains for the best possible nutrition.
From what I have read, however, there are no long term studies of low doses of arsenic. That would be something well worth knowing.
And because young children and infants are quite vulnerable the American Academy of Pediatrics has this to say:
While additional research, including the results of the ongoing FDA study, will be needed to provide detailed recommendations, the American Academy of Pediatrics believes that at the individual level, offering children a variety of foods, including products made from oats and wheat, will decrease children’s exposure to arsenic derived from rice. In addition, if parents raise questions about arsenic in juice products, they can be reminded that it is not necessary to offer children any juice in a well-balanced, healthy diet; and that for years the AAP has recommended limited intake of all sweet beverages, including juice.
Another finding is that rice grown in California has lower levels of arsenic overall than rice grown in south-central states where arsenic was used as a pesticide in the cotton fields.
Personally, when I buy rice in the future, I’ll purchase it from an environmentally conscious California based company from the San Joaquin Valley–Lundberg Family Farms. They’ll be implementing a 3 year arsenic testing plan to not only measure levels of arsenic in their rice but also to determine what that means for the health of the consumer. That’s means something to me.
There are no absolutes at this point. I’d like to hear what other families plan on doing. What do you think?
Table Talk 