The Food and Drug Administration reported consumers should vary their rice consumption, after a report released levels of arsenic.
The agency released information of arsenic in 1,300 samples of rice and rice products and found the levels of arsenic varied. Brown rice was reported to have the most arsenic. The least was found in instant rice. Infant cereal and infant rice formulas are also at the low end of the spectrum.
Despite the levels recorded, the FDA said it's safe to eat the rice and there are no concerns of short-term health risk, however, the agency is still studying possible long-term effects.
Still, researchers urge consumers to vary their diet to minimize any risk.
Average levels of arsenic in the study ranged from 2.6 to 7.2 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving. The agency will conduct a risk assessment with the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency to further measure those effects.
The Food and Drug Administration studied rice from the United States and found some of the highest levels were found in rice grown in the Southern states. The study was not large enough to evaluate specific brands.
The rice industry said its working with the FDA and is encouraged by some of the results of the study, the Huffington Post reported.
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. Rice is reported to have the highest levels of arsenic.
Arsenic is presented in water, air, food and soil in and organic and inorganic form. Organic passes through the body, while inorganic, often 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 Huffington Post reported consumer groups have been pushing the Food and Drug Administration to set a standard for the amount of arsenic that can be found in rice products.
