The OCU has analyzed 136 samples of rice of various varieties, as well as derived products such as diet pancakes, puffed rice cereals or baby food, to determine the possible risks of arsenic intake. The report concludes that they may contain small amounts of inorganic arsenic; Despite being below the maximum limits, the organization warns that they could be excessive if this cereal is consumed in large quantities regularly, and warns especially in the case of children.
That rice has arsenic naturally is something we have known for a long time, and it is not the only food in which it is present. Scientific evidence has shown that its consumption in certain doses can pose a risk to health, for which reason in 1987 it was classified as a carcinogen in humans with various other possible toxic effects.
Because of this, the EU assessed the risk from exposure through the diet in 2004, and recently the EFSA has reassessed the maximum allowable arsenic levels so that they do not pose a danger to the general population. Despite this, the OCU has wanted to verify the real risk in foods for daily consumption, and calls for increased controls.
Brown rice and pancakes, the ones that contain the most arsenic
The analysis of the organization concludes that it is the Integral rice the variety of rice that shows the highest presence of inorganic arsenic, followed by the Rice cakes, still considered a dietary food, although they are not healthy at all and experts advise against their consumption. Precisely because of their content in this contaminant, it is necessary to avoid giving them to children under six years of age, as Beatriz Robles points out.
The OCU has also found this substance, in smaller quantities, in common white rice, in puffed rice breakfast cereals, and in some instant cereal porridge with rice, “enough for two servings to exceed the maximum permissible daily limit for a six-month-old baby,” they warn. This is not the case of jars with purées and foods such as jars, where arsenic has not been found, or it is so mild that it is undetectable.
Since it has not been possible to establish a toxicological reference point for arsenic, the authorities have established a low estimate from the toxicological reference point, overestimating the risk. Although the amounts detected are lower than the limits of the regulations, the OCU warns that they could be excessive if the value of 0.3 µg per day per kilo of body weight is taken as a reference, especially if brown rice is consumed almost daily.
What is arsenic and how to reduce its intake
Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid with organic and inorganic forms. It is inorganic arsenic – forms As(III) and As(V) or a combination of both- that poses the greatest potential toxic risk, and the main source of human exposure is through ingestion of food and water.
To reduce its consumption, the OCU recommends opting for a varied diet that does not depend excessively on rice in any of its forms, combining it with other cereals and pseudocereals. Also, as explained in vitonicarsenic can be reduced washing the rice at least twice raw and cooking it in a large amount of water, which should then be rinsed and always discarded, never reused for other dishes.
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