High levels of arsenic and cadmium found in rice sold in stores across U.S., report finds

CBS News

15-05-2025

A new report is bringing attention to toxic heavy metals and elements such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury that could be in your rice.
The report, which comes from Healthy Babies, Bright Futures, an organization focused on babies' exposure to toxic chemicals, found arsenic in 100% of rice samples purchased from stores across the U.S.
One in four rice samples also exceeded the federal limit of 100 parts per billion (ppb) of inorganic arsenic set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for infant rice cereal in 2021, according to the report.
"No such limit exists for rice itself - the bags and boxes of rice served at family meals - despite it being widely consumed by infants and toddlers," the authors note.
Overall, the levels of total heavy metals, including cadmium, lead and mercury, ranged, on average, from 63 ppb to 188 pbb among the rice samples — though some samples exceeded 240 ppb, for example.
The report tested 105 different brands, including Trader Joe's, Ben's and Goya, from 20 metro areas across the country, from New York City to Los Angeles and Miami. Of the four toxic heavy metals found, arsenic was found at the highest levels and cadmium was second. Lead and mercury were found at the lowest levels.
In an emailed statement to CBS News, the USA Rice Federation said Thursday, "We know that arsenic in food is alarming for many consumers and that you may have questions. And while we do not agree that there is a public health safety issue as a result of trace amounts of arsenic in rice, we will continue to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure the U.S. rice supply meets any threshold established."
Very low levels of inorganic and organic arsenic are found in many food products, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Inorganic arsenic is more toxic to humans than the naturally occurring form of the mineral arsenic, and the health effects from exposure are more severe, according to the FDA. The Environmental Protection Agency has labeled inorganic arsenic a carcinogen, or a substance that causes cancer.
For those looking to reduce exposure, Healthy Babies, Bright Futures suggested a few options:
Cook rice like pasta: "Research shows that cooking rice in 6 to 10 cups of water per 1 cup of rice and draining the excess water before eating can remove a significant amount of arsenic," the report read.
Use rice alternatives: The organization's testing found alternatives such as quinoa, barley and couscous contain lower levels of total heavy metals.
Choose your rice wisely: The organization also found some types of rice had higher levels of heavy metals and elements than others. They suggest opting for Calrose, sushi, and white rice grown in California, along with jasmine rice from Thailand or Basmati rice from India, while avoiding those found to have higher levels, such as brown rice, white rice grown in the Southeast U.S. and arborio rice (risotto) from Italy.