4 Responses to Waiter, There is Arsenic in My Rice

1. JustMEinT Musings says:

   September 22, 2012 at 12:25

   I read that in Australian hormones are NOT used in chicken rearing. I also read that they are fed predominently soya which they (the chicken authority) believes to be NON GMO and sourced from Brazil. Can find nothing to indicate that arsenic is used in the rearing of Aussie Chooks – but heck ya never know coz they would not tell ya!

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   • Ken McMurtrie says:

     September 22, 2012 at 14:27

     Thanks Clare, very helpful. It would be nice to be absolutely sure about the hormones and possibly antibiotics.

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2. JustMEinT Musings says:

   September 22, 2012 at 12:30

   Why Arsenic is a Concern
   Inorganic arsenic, the predominant form of arsenic in most of the 65 rice products Consumer Reports analyzed, is ranked by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a known human carcinogen. It is known to cause bladder, lung, and skin cancer in humans, with the liver, kidney, and prostate now considered potential targets of arsenic-induced cancers. Two remaining forms of organic arsenic found−DMA and MMA−are considered to be possible carcinogens. It is important to note that these forms can chemically interchange, especially in the environment, so the continued use of organic arsenicals in animal feed and pesticides is still a major concern.

   Arsenic can enter soil or water due to weathering of arsenic-containing minerals in the earth, but the U.S. is the world’s leading user of arsenic, and since 1910 about 1.6 million tons have been used for agricultural and industrial purposes, about half of it only since the mid-1960s.

   Long-term studies that track health effects of exposure to arsenic in rice have only recently begun. One small study, published in late 2011 by Dartmouth researchers, suggests that many people in the U.S. may be exposed to potentially harmful levels of arsenic through rice consumption.

   The USDA has invested in research to breed types of rice that can grow in areas that have elevated levels of arsenic in their soil. That may help explain the relatively high levels of arsenic found in rice from the south-central U.S., though other factors such as climate or geology may also play a role. http://www.businessreviewaustralia.com/press_releases/consumer-reports-investigation-varying-levels-of-arsenic-found-in-rice-and-rice-products-show-need-f

   AM looking into arsenic levels in Australian Rice and rice from other o/s sources, will let you know.

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   • Ken McMurtrie says:

     September 22, 2012 at 14:29

     Many thanks for this comment, and for more researching.
     It is likely, hopefully that this is not a problem in Australia. Yet we do import rice, for some reason.
     The eastern rice paddies are hardly monitored for health hazards.

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