FDA, Consumer Reports Release Data on Arsenic Levels in Rice

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Preliminary data on arsenic levels in rice and rice products has led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to “prioritize” the issue, the FDA has announced.

 

The FDA said its data is consistent with results found by Consumer Reports, also published this week, which state that new tests found “rice products on grocery store shelves contain arsenic, many at worrisome levels.”

 

“We understand that consumers are concerned about this matter. That’s why the FDA has prioritized analyzing arsenic levels in rice,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg in a news release. “The FDA is committed to ensuring that we understand the extent to which substances such as arsenic are present in our foods, what risks they may pose, whether these risks can be minimized and to sharing what we know.”

 

The FDA said its data is preliminary and part of an ongoing collection and analysis initiative scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The FDA’s analysis of these initial samples found average levels of inorganic arsenic for the various rice and rice products of 3.5 to 6.7 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving, the agency said.

 

The FDA said it does not have an adequate scientific basis to recommend changes by consumers regarding their consumption of rice and rice products.

 

Read the full FDA release here.

 

Read the full report from Consumer Reports here. 

 

(Photo: USDA Agricultural Resource Service)