Do we consume too much Arsenic in our food
Should we be worried? Were we not protected by federal regulations? No, we’re not. As in many other countries, in the US, the government regulates arsenic concentration in drinking water but not in any other drinks or foods. Why don’t there be arsenic in food regulation?
The compounds of mercury that we find in our food are all equally toxic. Arsenic is an exception. Most of the Arsenic in our food is not harmful. Arsenic is found in seafood, the most concentrated source of Arsenic. It comes as arsenobetaine. This organic chemical contains Arsenic but is safe for humans.
What, then, is the best way to regulate Arsenic? We need better methods to measure the amount of Arsenic in food and other chemicals.
Focus on rice
Scientists have only just begun to collect data about the arsenic levels in food. The only foodstuffs which are widely consumed and may cause long-term health issues due to arsenic containment are rice and rice-derived products such as flour, cakes, crackers, and infant formulas.
Chemical analysis shows that no matter the origin of rice, four compounds containing arsenic account for 95% of Arsenic released by rice when it is cooked. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, two of these compounds (together known as inorganic Arsenic) have been proven human carcinogens. Two others (monomethylated and dimethylated Arsenic) are also possibly carcinogenic.
Arsenic can be found in rice fields naturally, as well as from compounds that are left over after spraying cotton. Rice field via shutterstock.com
Arsenic levels in food can vary widely. In the event that a safety limit for food was set solely on the basis of concentration, all aquatic foods would be declared unfit for consumption by humans, even if there were no health risks. A standard for Arsenic in food must specify the arsenic compounds that are regulated.
The health risks also depend on the amount and frequency of rice consumption, as well as the concentration of carcinogenic Arsenic. According to some researchers, to reduce the risk of arsenic-induced cancer in adults to an acceptable level, they recommend that the adult daily intake of rice should not exceed one-quarter cup that contains no more than fifty parts per billion.
Results of the analysis of many rice and rice-based products by Consumer Reports and the US Food and Drug Administration showed that almost all rice tested had concentrations above – and sometimes even well beyond – this 50ppb limit. In general, brown rice contains higher levels of Arsenic than white rice.
Recent science
We don’t know how long our exposure has been. Recent advances in chemical measuring technology have made it possible to detect Arsenic in food at relevant concentrations.
1998 was the first year that arsenic levels in rice were measured. It was only in 2005 that the global scope of contamination became apparent. This was when it was discovered that the rice grown in America contains some of the highest levels of inorganic Arsenic and methylated compounds. The results so far have shown that rice of all varieties and origins contains arsenic compounds in easily measurable amounts.
