High arsenic levels in rice have been headline news all week. In case your kiddos have kept you too busy to stay in the loop. Here is what you might have missed in a nutshell. Consumer Reports published the article “Arsenic in your Food,” which revealed over 60 products that had varying amounts of arsenic in rices and rice products. Arsenic is a known carcinogen and can cause children to develop health problems later in life. There are two types or arsenic, organic and inorganic. Inorganic arsenic can cause death in high levels and is known to cause cancers, heart disease, and other illnesses. Organic arsenic is not known to be as toxic. Both types of arsenic were found in rices and rice products, some at alarming levels. Currently, only water has a maximum limit for arsenic levels. Most food products do not have any maximum limits. From their research, Consumer Reports recommends the following guidelines for consumers.

• Limiting children to about a quarter cup of uncooked rice per week and adults to a half-cup.
• Rinsing raw rice thoroughly before cooking.
• Cooking rice in a manner similar to pasta: using six cups of water per one cup of rice and pouring off the excess water after it’s cooked. (This works better with brown rice than with white.)
• Clean vegetables, especially potato skins, thoroughly.
• Limit consumption of other foods that can contain significant arsenic, including apple and grape juice.

The FDA is currently conducting its own samples to determine if there should be new regulations about arsenic. They should be finished with their studies at the end of the year. Their preliminary samples have been consistent with Consumer Reports. The FDA is currently stating that their is not enough scientific research to recommend changes in consumption of rice and rice products. I would be very surprised if this statement does not change at the conclusion of their study, at the end of the year.

I typically am very cautious when it comes to anything potentially carcinogenic with my son. Once he was born, our cleaning supplies and pesticides became organic/ natural. I buy organic foods for him that I wouldn’t spend extra money on if it was just for me. So naturally after reading this report, I will no longer give rice or rice products to my son until new guidelines are released from the FDA. At that point I will reevaluate the research. I know that this is an extreme response, but it’s my baby that we are talking about! We typically only eat rice once every two weeks, so this is not a big change for my family.

If you currently have an infant that you are feeding rice cereal, I would recommend that you switch to oatmeal cereal, especially if your infant is over 6 months. If your infant is under 6 months their digestive system might have a hard time with the oatmeal so check with your pediatrician.

If you want more information, the Consumer Reports article goes into a lot more details. Let me know what you think. Do you plan on making any changes to your family’s rice consumption?