Food
Arsenic in Rice
The FDA has collected and tested rice for total arsenic for about 20 years. On September 19, 2012, the FDA released the first analytical results of nearly 200 samples of rice and rice products tested for both total and inorganic arsenic. The FDA is collecting and analyzing more than 1,000 additional rice and rice product samples, and will post additional data as results become available.
Samples included various brands of rice and rice products, such as infant rice cereal, breakfast cereal, rice cakes and rice beverages. FDA scientists tested the samples for total arsenic, inorganic arsenic, and two forms of organic arsenic that may have toxic effects (dimethylarsinic acid, or DMA, and monomethylarsonic acid, or MMA). The sample results also show the amount in micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving. Serving amounts are based on the Reference Amount Customarily Consumed as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations.
The table FDA released shows the micrograms of inorganic arsenic (iAs) per serving for each sample tested. The summary chart below shows the average amounts of iAs in micrograms per serving for each of the product categories, and the range of the amount of inorganic arsenic in micrograms per serving for each product category.
Rice and Rice Products Sample Analysis - September 2012
Average Amounts of Inorganic Arsenic by Product Category in mcg per serving
Product | Average Inorganic Arsenic (iAs) mcg/serving | Range of iAs mcg/serving | Number of Samples |
---|---|---|---|
Basmati rice1 | 3.5 | 1.2 - 9.0 | 52 |
Rice cereals | 3.5 | 1.5 - 9.7 | 32 |
Rice Beverages2 | 3.8 | Trace - 4.1 | 28 |
Rice cakes | 5.4 | 3.0 - 8.2 | 32 |
Rice (non-Basmati) | 6.7 | 2.2 - 11.1 | 49 |
For more information:
Questions & Answers: FDA’s Analysis of Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products
Full Analytical Results from Rice/Rice Product Sampling - September 2012
Summary Analytical Results from Rice/Rice Product Sampling - September 2012
FDA Statement on Arsenic in Brown Rice Syrup February 17, 2012