A recent report from Healthy Babies, Bright Futures has sparked concern by revealing that every single rice sample they tested, purchased from stores across 20 U.S. cities, contained arsenic. Even more concerning, one in four samples exceeded the FDA’s safety limit for infant rice cereal. The report also found traces of cadmium, lead, and mercury in many of the samples, with arsenic showing up at the highest levels.
Before you panic, take heart: there are simple steps you can take to reduce exposure and still enjoy the foods you love.
First, consider switching up your cooking method. Cooking rice in excess water—6 to 10 cups per 1 cup of rice—and draining the extra water afterward can remove a substantial amount of arsenic. You can also explore nutritious alternatives like quinoa, couscous, or barley, which have tested significantly lower in heavy metals.
And if rice is a must-have on your table? Choose wisely. Calrose, sushi rice, and white rice grown in California, as well as jasmine rice from Thailand and basmati from India, had some of the lowest levels of heavy metals. On the other hand, brown rice, white rice from the Southeastern U.S., and arborio rice from Italy tested higher.
The USA Rice Federation notes that trace arsenic in rice isn’t necessarily a public health crisis, but continued cooperation with the FDA is ongoing.
The bottom line: you don’t need to ditch rice, but a few smart swaps and cooking tweaks can help protect your family’s health.
