FDA study says amount of arsenic in rice is low

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

WASHINGTON (AP) The Food and Drug Administration says consumers shouldn't worry too much about levels of arsenic in rice but should vary their diets just in case.

The agency released a study Friday of arsenic in 1,300 samples of rice and rice products, the largest study to date looking at the carcinogen's presence in that grain. Consumer groups have pressured the FDA to set a standard for the amount of arsenic that can be present in rice products.

The study shows varying levels, with the most arsenic in brown rice and the least in instant rice. Infant cereal and infant rice formulas are also at the low end of the spectrum.

The FDA says the amounts are so small that rice is safe to eat and there isn't any concern of immediate or short-term adverse health effects. But the agency said it is still studying the long-term effects of eating rice.

Rice is thought to have arsenic in higher levels than most other foods because it is grown in water on the ground, optimal conditions for the contaminant to be absorbed.

Arsenic is naturally present in water, air, food and soil in two forms, organic and inorganic. Organic arsenic passes through the body quickly and is essentially harmless. Inorganic arsenic the type found in some pesticides and insecticides can be toxic and may pose a cancer risk if consumed at high levels or over a long period.

The FDA is looking into how much organic and inorganic arsenic rice eaters are consuming and whether those levels are dangerous. The agency will conduct a risk assessment with the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency to further measure those effects.

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The FDA study looked at rice from the United States, with some of the highest levels of arsenic found in rice grown in Southern states. It also looked at rice from Asia. The FDA said its study was not large enough to evaluate specific brands.

FDA toxicologist Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick said that because arsenic is naturally occurring it is going to be in food, and because rice is grown in water it will always have higher levels.

"It's not something that we can just pull off the market," she said.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-health/20130906/US--FDA-Arsenic.in.Rice/

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

WASHINGTON (AP) The Food and Drug Administration says consumers shouldn't worry too much about levels of arsenic in rice but should vary their diets just in case.

The agency released a study Friday of arsenic in 1,300 samples of rice and rice products, the largest study to date looking at the carcinogen's presence in that grain. Consumer groups have pressured the FDA to set a standard for the amount of arsenic that can be present in rice products.

The study shows varying levels, with the most arsenic in brown rice and the least in instant rice. Infant cereal and infant rice formulas are also at the low end of the spectrum.

The FDA says the amounts are so small that rice is safe to eat and there isn't any concern of immediate or short-term adverse health effects. But the agency said it is still studying the long-term effects of eating rice.

Rice is thought to have arsenic in higher levels than most other foods because it is grown in water on the ground, optimal conditions for the contaminant to be absorbed.

Arsenic is naturally present in water, air, food and soil in two forms, organic and inorganic. Organic arsenic passes through the body quickly and is essentially harmless. Inorganic arsenic the type found in some pesticides and insecticides can be toxic and may pose a cancer risk if consumed at high levels or over a long period.

The FDA is looking into how much organic and inorganic arsenic rice eaters are consuming and whether those levels are dangerous. The agency will conduct a risk assessment with the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency to further measure those effects.

_______________________

The FDA study looked at rice from the United States, with some of the highest levels of arsenic found in rice grown in Southern states. It also looked at rice from Asia. The FDA said its study was not large enough to evaluate specific brands.

FDA toxicologist Suzanne C. Fitzpatrick said that because arsenic is naturally occurring it is going to be in food, and because rice is grown in water it will always have higher levels.

"It's not something that we can just pull off the market," she said.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-health/20130906/US--FDA-Arsenic.in.Rice/

we go thru about 22 Kilos every month or so, and i rarely if ever eat rice

[Jacque67 7,328]

Would not touch Californian rice with a barge pole.

[Darnell 8,478]

Oh joy ! Organic Arsenic , All Hail !

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Oh joy ! Organic Arsenic , All Hail !

The author of the article actually mixed the terms.

What is arsenic?

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely distributed in the earth's crust. In the environment, arsenic is combined with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic in animals and plants combines with carbon and hydrogen to form organic arsenic compounds.

Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used to preserve wood. Copper chromated arsenate (CCA) is used to make "pressure-treated" lumber. CCA is no longer used in the U.S. for residential uses; it is still used in industrial applications. Organic arsenic compounds are used as pesticides, primarily on cotton fields and orchards.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=19&tid=3

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

Eating rice makes you fat. Arsenic in rice makes you dead. Two compelling reasons I have seen lately to stop eating rice. I mean, look at all the millions of fat, dead Asians walking around!!

[Dakine10 5,452]

WASHINGTON (AP) The Food and Drug Administration says consumers shouldn't worry too much about levels of arsenic in rice but should vary their diets just in case.

How reassuring. It's OK - just don't eat it.

It's hard to take the FDA seriously nowadays. If the FDA was an individual, my advice would be not to quit their day job. Because food safety just does not seem to be their forte anymore.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Dakine10

[SMR 368]

The author of the article actually mixed the terms.

But this gets to the heart of why the organic label is hogwash. Organic just means that something contains carbon. There are no foods which do not contain carbon. You may find an odd mineral supplement that doesn't contain carbon, but even that is not likely. All food is organic. Arsenic is organic when in a molecule containing carbon.