Facts About Arsenic and Rice

FACTS ABOUT ARSENIC AND RICE

Rice is Nutritious

Rice plays an important role in a healthy, nutritious and wholesome diet, providing crucial nutrients, vitamins and minerals that help protect against disease and ensure healthy growth during pregnancy and childhood.

 According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Health and Human Services, the average adult should seek to obtain 6 to 10 oz. of grains daily. Nutrient- dense whole grains, like brown rice, and enriched, fortified grains without added fats and sugar are emphasized.1

 A gluten, sodium and cholesterol-free grain, rice has only a trace of fat, no trans fats or saturated fats, and is the least allergenic of all grains.

 Rice is nutrient-rich and contains over 15 vitamins and minerals. Populations that eat the most rice are often the leanest and among the healthiest in the world. In the United States, recent research shows that brown rice and white rice provide fullness, or satiety, which makes rice an important part of a healthy, balanced, calorie-controlled diet.2

 Enriched, fortified rice provides one of the most easily absorbed sources of folic acid — an essential nutrient for growth that has contributed to a 36% reduction in certain birth defects.3 Enriched rice also provides niacin, thiamin and iron. Brown rice is a 100% whole grain food. One cup (cooked) of brown rice provides two of the three daily recommended whole grain servings.

 At only approximately 100 calories per half-cup serving, rice is an excellent energy source made up of complex carbohydrates that are slowly digested and are used to fuel the body's physical activity and brain function.

 Recent research shows that people who eat rice consume less saturated fat and less sugar, have a lower risk of high blood pressure and obesity, and may be less likely to develop heart disease and type II diabetes. 4

1 U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Health and Human Services, “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010,” http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf. 2 University of Minnesota, “Satiety Response of White and Brown Rice Compared to Glucose Control” (2012), http://www.usarice.com/doclib/229/5987.pdf. 3 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Folic Acid Fortification: A Major Public Health Achievement” (2011), http://www.usarice.com/doclib/229/5279.pdf. 4 Nutrition Today, “Diet Quality and Markers for Human Health in Rice Eaters Versus Non-Rice Eater” (2010), http://www.usarice.com/doclib/188/4902.pdf; Journal of the American Dietetic Association, “Rice Consumption in the United States: Recent Evidence from Food Consumption Surveys” (2009), http://www.usarice.com/doclib/229/4290.pdf; Tufts University, “Association between Rice Consumption and Select Measures of Health and Nutrition” (2012), http://www.usarice.com/doclib/229/5922.pdf. 1 Arsenic is Everywhere

Arsenic is one of many natural elements found in air, water and soil, and all plants take up arsenic. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, exposure to higher than average levels of arsenic occurs mostly in the workplace, near hazardous waste sites, or in areas with high natural levels. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control makes no recommendation for dietary changes regarding arsenic exposure.5

 Arsenic is measured in parts per billion (ppb). One ppb is equal to a single drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

 There are trace amounts of arsenic in most of the foods we eat, and it is unavoidably present in breast milk, 6 as well as vegetables, fruits and juices, rice, and seafood.

 Regardless of whether the farming method is conventional or organic, all plants take up arsenic.

 Given recent attention to arsenic, the FDA has expanded its monitoring activities to ensure that consumers are protected and the rice industry is fully engaged with government agencies, readily providing rice samples for testing and sharing information.

Rice is Safe

Rice is the staple food for approximately half of the world's population and 535 million tons of the grain is produced every year.

 The U.S. rice industry is committed to maintaining the safety of U.S.-grown rice. Rice is a wholesome, nutritious and affordable food that has supported half the world's population for hundreds of years.

 We are not aware of any documented incidents in which arsenic in U.S. rice has led to human health problems. In fact, populations with high rice consumption are associated with good health, demonstrating that the benefits of rice outweigh any perceived or theoretical risks.

 The overall arsenic content of U.S. rice is similar to that found in other regions of the world, according to ongoing evaluations within the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the presumptive international authority on food issues that was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). However, federal regulators tested samples of U.S. rice provided by the rice industry from all rice growing states and found an average of 92 ppb inorganic arsenic with a range of 40 ppb to 145 ppb. The 92 ppb average level for U.S. rice is significantly less than the 140 ppb average level of inorganic arsenic reported for worldwide. Federal scientists have assessed consumer exposure to arsenic and estimated rice to contribute only 11 percent of inorganic arsenic in the diet, including water.

5 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine ToxFAQs” (2007), http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/TF.asp?id=19&tid=3. 6 World Health Organization, “Minor and Trace Elements in Breast Milk” (1989), http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/1989/9241561211.pdf; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine ToxFAQs” (2007), http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/TF.asp?id=19&tid=3. 2  According to Toxicologist Dr. Jim Coughlin: “All arsenic in water is considered bioaccessible, or fully available to be absorbed by the body when consumed, while arsenic in rice and other foods is only partially bioaccessible (72% for rice), meaning some of the arsenic is not absorbed by the body, but passes through the body and is excreted unchanged following consumption. Inorganic arsenic in rice and other foods is readily metabolized in the body to much less toxic organic forms of arsenic, which are also excreted following consumption.”