Is Eating Rice (With High Arsenic Levels) Safe?

[willbewhatiwill]

I have stopped eating rice (and its products like rice noodles, rice flour, etc) for nearly a year now. I do no feel good and healthy after eating rice, as rice contains more arsenic that any other crops grown for food.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/high-levels-of-arsenic-in-rice-why-isnt-it-regulated-in-our-food-9836900.html reported, “Rice has, typically, ten times more inorganic arsenic than other foods and, as the European Food Standards Authority have reported, people who eat a lot of rice are exposed to worrying concentrations. What sets rice apart is that it is the only major crop that is grown under flooded conditions. It is this flooding that releases inorganic arsenic, normally locked up in soil minerals, which makes it available for the plant to uptake. Chronic exposure can cause a range of health problems including developmental problems, heart disease, diabetes and nervous system damage. However, most worrying are lung and bladder cancers. Bottled water in the EU is around 50 times lower in inorganic arsenic water concentrations than rice. Therefore, you would need to drink five litres of water to get the equivalent arsenic dose of eating a small 100g (dry weight packet) portion of rice. Brown rice is higher in inorganic arsenic than white as arsenic is concentrated in the bran that is removed by milling to produce white rice. Sourcing rice from regions with lower grain inorganic arsenic concentrations – for example, basmati rice is two to three-fold lower in inorganic arsenic than rice from the European Union or from the US. Cooking rice in a large excess of water also helps to remove inorganic arsenic”.

[willbewhatiwill]

ummmm: "Can you not condense your posts. Far too much reading"
Ok, try this article https://www.rt.com/uk/201835-uk-arsenic-rice-eu/ which reports:
"According to research conducted by Channel 4’s Dispatches program and the Institute for Global Food Security, around 58 percent of rice-based products in the UK contain huge levels of arsenic. If an individual is exposed to it over long periods of time, they risk a range of major health problems, including nervous system damage and bladder cancer. While there is currently no formal regulation over arsenic levels in food, the EU is increasingly concerned about rice-based products, particularly those consumed by young children. According to the research, products including puffed rice cereal showed high levels of inorganic arsenic, while some baby foods tested had arsenic levels nearly 200 percent higher than the EU’s recommended limits. Rice is the only major crop grown in flooded conditions, where it absorbs large amounts of inorganic arsenic found in soil minerals. According to the European Food Standards Authority (EFSA), rice typically contains ten times more arsenic than other foods. The EU has also proposed to limit arsenic in foods for adults to 200 parts per billion (ppb). Currently some foods such as red rice from France contain 310 ppb".

[gingejbee]

So why, exactly, have you asked the question on here? You seem to have all the answers and have made up your mind...so, what's the point?

[willbewhatiwill]

Mamyalynne,

There are many more recent articles saying the same thing. The arsenic levels in rice had not changed! The link below is an article published on 20 March 2017.

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/about-us/news/arsenic-in-rice-and-rice-based-products/ (published 20 March 2017) reported, “In the UK where rice is not eaten in large amounts the risk of arsenic poisoning is very low. Areas at high risk include countries like Bangladesh where the diet is made up of a very high proportion of rice and where the water supply used for drinking and cooking contains high levels of arsenic. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has looked at the risk of arsenic poisoning in Europe and assessed that the risk is very low. However, some groups in the population have relatively higher intakes of rice. This includes infants and young children so limits have been set for rice and rice products aimed at infants since 2015. There are also maximum allowed levels for drinking water in the EU. We are aware that as rice is a gluten free cereal, people with coeliac disease may be eating more rice and gluten free products based on rice but recent research suggests that the risk of arsenic poisoning is still very low. Both rinsing rice before cooking and boiling in plenty of water will further reduce the levels of any arsenic present. We are continuing to follow the research and will keep you updated in our electronic newsletter, on our website and in Crossed Grain magazine”.

[dannyk13]

I haven't seen any reports of anyone suffering arsenic poisoning from eating rice.

[Khandro]

The EU !! Were they not the same people who ruled that Cucumbers and bananas should not be bendy ?
Under the rules, cucumbers were to be "practically straight" and bent by a gradient of no more than 1/10.
Thank heavens the UK is getting out!

[THECORBYLOON]

There are limits, "Maximum levels for arsenic in certain foods have been established by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2015/1006(future section 3.5 of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 2006/1881, applicable from 1 January 2016 onwards)."

[willbewhatiwill]

gingejbee,

Most people will think it is safe to eat rice. However, frankly I am too worried to eat rice ever again - given present levels of arsenic in rice.

[dannyk13]

Then why are you posing this question?

[willbewhatiwill]

THECORBYLOON: "There are limits, "Maximum levels for arsenic in certain foods have been established by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2015/1006...."

Yes but they are for foodstuff manufactured using rice, not rice grains cooked at home, restaurants and other places/institutions.

[EcclesCake]

Perhaps most people are better versed in risk assessment?

[Mamyalynne]

Khandro, check your facts, the issue of certain fruits and vegetables was largely producer led to enable easier and more cost effective packaging.

Combined with a public that appeared to like to buy based on uniformity.

Thankfully in some areas those trends are being bucked.

[Mamyalynne]

Ta for the more up to date link W.

[ChillDoubt]

I've got to cross the road a lot of times yet before I worry about miniscule amounts of arsenic in the rice that I eat almost daily.

After all, you gotta die of something.....

[THECORBYLOON]

The regulations apply to rice put on the market on or after 1.1.16. Unless you're growing rice out the back garden, where else are you getting it from if not from folk selling it to you?

[willbewhatiwill]

EcclesCake,

Of course I can risk assess and balance the beneficial and drawbacks of eating rice. Eating rice meals is extremely delicious and I have eaten lots of Asian foods with rice (including rice noodles, horfun, my favourite) ever since I was born.

I know the stable food of most Asian countries is rice. I (and many, many others) have eaten lots of rice in the past without any problems.

However eating rice & then worrying about effects of arsenic levels in my body is something I rather do without at the present and foreseeable future. I regret this very, very much, but I have no choice!

[dannyk13]

I repeat, why have you posed this question when ,apparently, you know the answer?

[willbewhatiwill]

dannyk13: "you posed this question when ,apparently, you know the answer?"

It is not simply a 'yes' or 'no' answer about levels of arsenic in rice. Some people may consider it safe to continue to eat rice (& its products), some (like me) may say it is unsafe (even though I enjoy very much eating meals containing rice) at current arsenic levels in rice.

[Tilly2]

I'm having chicken stir fry with wholegrain brown rice tonight. Will I be ok?

[Sqad]

I have never seen a case of acute arsenical poisoning due to rice or any other form.
Long term arsenical poisoning might be of interest.
In China and India where cancer as a whole is less than the Western world (in general) it has been suggested that arsenic reduces the incidence of certain cancers.
Interesting topic though.
Mrs sqad washes the rice twice and then pan fries.
I am not sure that we can make anything out of arsenic in rice at the moment.

[marval]

I am having an Indian takeaway tonight, whatever I have will involve rice. I don't think I eat enough to worry.