Rice has been a staple of infant diets, from pudding to milk to rice-based cereal, but a recent proposal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will have many parents rethinking their children’s food choices.
There’s inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. In 2012, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) compiled a report warning parents about it. After four years of analysis and testing, the FDA has proposed a new upper limit for arsenic levels in rice cereal.
The previous average arsenic in infant rice cereal was 103 parts per billion. The FDA is striving to reduce that amount to 100 parts per billion, which is in line with levels recently suggested by the European Commission.
It may not seem like a significant decrease, but Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food and Safety and Applied Nutrition, is optimistic about the decision.
“The proposed limit is a prudent and achievable step to reduce exposure to arsenic among infants,” she said.
The Dangers of Inorganic Arsenic
Inorganic arsenic, in high levels, is lethally poisonous. In small doses, it can cause serious damage to the brain, nervous system, blood vessels, bladder, lungs, heart, and skin, and nursing mothers who intake small amounts can increase the risk of birth defects and learning disabilities in their children.
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It’s so potent, even in miniscule amounts, that babies who consume two servings of rice cereal a day can double their cancer risk over their lifetimes.
The FDA is still investigating side effects.
Arsenic and Rice
Arsenic is a natural element that’s present in water, air, and soil. It occurs naturally in the environment, and comes in two varieties – organic and inorganic. The difference is straightforward. If arsenic atoms bond with carbon, it becomes organic. If there’s no carbon to bond with, it’s inorganic. Of the two types, however, inorganic arsenic has been tied to negative effects on human health.
Rice, as it grows, tends to absorb arsenic through the soil. And, unfortunately, there’s not much that people can do about it. Because arsenic is found in both water and soil, it doesn’t really matter how crops are grown. In their studies so far, the FDA hasn’t found any difference in the amount of arsenic in organically-grown rice versus conventionally-grown rice.
Safeguarding Against Inorganic Arsenic
This doesn’t mean parents have to cut rice from the children’s diets, however. Published studies, including research by the FDA, indicate that cooking rice in excess water (and draining the water afterwards) can reduce arsenic content by 40-to-60% depending on the type of rice. This preparation style, however, also reduces the nutritional value of rice.
The other primary measure is simple – let your children eat rice-based products, but don’t make them the central point of the diet. Incorporate other iron-rich foods like oats, mixed grains, or barley.
“I wouldn’t say don’t eat rice,” said Dr. Jennifer Lowry, chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health. “I would say, don’t eat only rice. Eat other grains in addition to rice, and eat other grains first.”
