Arsenic is a chemical element that can be found in small amounts in some foods, either naturally or as a result of environmental pollution. It is usually very common to find it in rice or bread.
However, it should be noted that not all food products contain significant levels of arsenic. In addition, health risks depend on several factors, including the amount and type of arsenic present in the food, frequency of consumption, and individual allergies.
However, consuming arsenic in food can pose a health risk if taken in excess. This has been associated with many health problems. For example, cancer, heart disease, skin lesions, glucose metabolism disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and even death due to high exposure.
For all this, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) conducted a study on which type of rice contains the highest percentage of arsenic. We were able to discover very interesting data in the results.
Rice contains the most arsenic according to OCU
There are two main types of arsenic in food products:
- Inorganic arsenic This type of arsenic is found mainly in soil and water and can be absorbed by plants as they grow. Food grown in contaminated soil or irrigated with contaminated water may contain higher levels of inorganic arsenic.
- Organic arsenic This type of arsenic is associated with organic compounds and is found in some foods of animal origin, such as fish and shellfish. Organic arsenic tends to be less toxic than inorganic arsenic, and is more easily removed from the body.
In this case, the OCU study is based on inorganic arsenic and the data we can extract are the following. the Whole riceThe grains, round and long, are the winners in arsenic. It contains on average 131 micrograms per kilogram, so it is the least amount we should consume.
Conversely, the types that contain the least amount are pre-cooked rice or basmati rice. In addition, we must take into account that we do not only consume rice as the main meal of the day.
Amount of arsenic in each variety of rice according to OCU
| A variety of rice | Amount of arsenic (micrograms per kilogram) |
| White short grain | 86 |
| White long grain | 75 |
| Basic | 131 |
| Fumigation | 79 |
| Asian/Basmati | 58 |
| Pre-cooked | 36 |
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