Arsenic in Rice? What is Going on? |

You may have heard in the news in recent months about arsenic found in rice?

If this has made you worried and you feel unsure now about feeding yourself and your loved ones rice, read on.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been testing rice for years now and has an extensive question and answer section on their analysis of arsenic in rice and rice products.

Consumer Reports magazine November 2012 issue article (Arsenic in your food) findings suggests we limit the amount of rice we consume by eating other grains, or changing our diet by varying it more. Their findings showed that brown rice had higher arsenic levels than white. Arsenic is a concern to humans, as it is said to cause cancers.

There are a few things that can be done when cooking rice, to try to keep arsenic levels at bay. The following cooking tips may help:

rinse rice completely with water several times before cooking
check your water levels and water report
cook and drain rice cooked in excess water (as you would with pasta)
select aromatic rices such as basmati, jasmine
limit brown rice
select wisely when feeding babies rice cereal and rice milk

Feel free to also use the Toronto Public Library website under Articles & Online Research, Health & Medicine Databases by category, then sign in with your library card, and search "Arsenic in rice" in Health & Wellness Resource Center, for example, for more information.

Below are some books on rice you can borrow from the library: