Arsenic found in rice products too
Studies have revealed high arsenic levels in rice and rice products such as rice bran and rice crackers. A study published in April 2008 in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reported high levels of arsenic in baby rice sold in supermarkets in the UK. The samples of products they tested came from Japan and the US. The study revealed that 35 per cent of baby rice samples tested had an average arsenic level of 0.11-0.25mg per kg.
However, this is not the first time that the dangers of arsenic in rice have been highlighted. Based on analysis of samples collected through a survey of household in Nadia district of West Bengal, researchers from University of Manchester, UK, have linked arsenic to prevalence of cancer in the region. The study will be published in Applied Geochemistry.
Authors of another study say arsenic, a known carcinogen, and its concentrations in rice grains are often high enough to cause concern even though it is grown in uncontaminated soils. The study was published in PNAS.