In this Aug. 16, 2012 photo, a combine harvests rice near Tucker, Ark. Consumer groups are pressuring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to set federal guidance on allowable levels of arsenic in rice, prompting the agency to consider possible new standards. So far, FDA officials say they have found no evidence that suggests rice is unsafe to eat. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Arsenic is thought to be found in rice in higher levels than most other foods because it is grown in water on the ground, optimal conditions for the contaminant to be absorbed in the rice. There are no federal standards for how much arsenic is allowed in food.
Arsenic is naturally present in water, air, food and soil in two forms, organic and inorganic. According to the FDA, organic arsenic passes through the body quickly and is essentially harmless. Inorganic arsenic — the type found in some pesticides and insecticides — can be toxic and may pose a cancer risk if consumed at high levels or over a long period.
How much organic and inorganic arsenic rice eaters are consuming, and whether those levels are dangerous, still remains to be seen.
It is almost impossible to say how dangerous these levels are without a benchmark from the federal government. Consumer Reports uses New Jersey’s drinking water standard — a maximum of 5 micrograms in a liter of water — as comparison because it is one of the strictest in the country. But it is unclear how accurate it is to compare arsenic levels in water and arsenic levels in rice — most people consume more water than rice, so drinking water standards may need to be tougher.
Read more: http://health.heraldtribune.com/2012/09/19/fda-urged-to-set-standards-for-arsenic-in-rice/
http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_arsenic_chicken.html
