Inorganic arsenic (Asi) is present throughout the environment, and as such has been found in an array of foodstuffs. In fact, food is the principle source of this toxic addition to our diets. Rice in particular is known to be especially prone to high levels of Asi, accumulating up to 10-fold more than wheat or barley. While concentrations in rice do not approach lethal doses, chronic exposure to sublethal levels of Asi can cause numerous health problems including skin lesions, cancer, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has estimated that in populations that regularly consume rice, individuals may be exposed to Asi levels of approximately 1 µg/kg bodyweight per day.[1] Children are especially vulnerable in these cases as they consume approximately three times more food on a bodyweight basis than adults. Rice-based products such as rice milk, crackers and porridge are frequently used to feed very young children. In light of this concern, the UK Food Standards Agency has gone so far as to suggest that children under the age of four-and-a-half years should refrain from drinking rice milk.[2]