A recent study by the nonprofit Healthy Babies, Bright Futures found heavy metals – including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury – in rice sold across the U.S. Researchers tested 145 rice samples from 20 metropolitan areas and detected arsenic in every sample. Alarmingly, over one-quarter exceeded the FDA’s safety limits for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal.
This discovery is especially concerning for infants and toddlers, who are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of heavy metals. Long-term exposure to arsenic and cadmium has been linked to reduced IQ, cancer, kidney damage, and other serious health issues.
The study revealed that brown rice grown in the southeastern U.S. had the highest toxin levels. White rice from the same region also showed higher contamination than rice grown in California. Imported jasmine and Indian basmati rice, along with California rice, generally had lower levels than other varieties.
These findings have led to growing pressure on the FDA to set strict, enforceable limits on arsenic and other heavy metals in all rice products, not just those for babies. Health experts and consumer advocacy groups are also urging the public to diversify their grain consumption by incorporating alternatives with significantly lower levels of heavy metals, such as quinoa or barley.
In response, the USA Rice Federation acknowledged the presence of arsenic in rice but emphasized that American-grown rice contains some of the lowest inorganic arsenic levels in the world. The group said it is committed to working with the FDA to ensure the safety of the U.S. rice supply.