FDA Finds Low Levels of Arsenic in All Rice-Based Products

You may not be aware of it, but all of the rice sitting in your pantry contains traces of one of the most poisonous elements on earth – arsenic. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration tested 1,300 samples of different rice-based products and concluded that every one of them contained low levels of arsenic.

According to the FDA’s findings, the amount of detectable arsenic in rice is not dangerous and doesn’t pose a threat to health. Nor has the agency issued any info regarding the long-term consequences of ingesting arsenic from rice products. It appears that all rice-based products have the same amounts of arsenic, yet it is not feasible to pull them off the market.

FDA toxicologist Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick said that rice will always have higher levels of the toxic element because it is grown in water. Some companies have reportedly started conducting studies of their own in order to have more control over the quality of water in which rice is grown and the processing it undergoes before reaching consumers. But for now, the FDA suggests people balance their grain intake with other foods in their diet.