Every parent is concerned about the foods you give your children. If you have been feeding rice - or rice based cereals to your children you may want to consider another source of whole grain for your children. We used to buy those microwave rice pouches. They are quick and we thought rice was good for the little ones.
Tests by Consumer Reports revealed surprisingly high levels of arsenic in many rice products, including cereals for infants and children. They also found higher than normal levels of arsenic in so called organic rice products, and brown rice. Arsenic can cause bladder, lung cancer, and skin cancer, and can also up the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Arsenic was found in all 233 rice samples tested, and some baby cereals contained five times as much as comparable non-rice products (such as those made with oatmeal). Consumer Reports also found higher than normal levels of arsenic in apple and grape juice. (Inorganic arsenic - from insecticides - can linger in the soil used to grow many of our grains, fruits and vegetables.)
Back in September Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) introduced legislation to limit the amount of arsenic permitted in rice and rice-based products. There are currently no federal standards for arsenic in most foods, including rice and rice-based products. ( The FDA does regulate the amount of arsenic allowed in bottled water. They don't regulate arsenic levels in food. )
So, where did all this bad arsenic come from? Soil ( and even water ) can contain small amounts of arsenic naturally. The problem stems from residues left behind by the decades long use of lead-arsenic insecticides. These inorganic sources linger in agricultural soil today, even though their use was banned back in the 1980s. Rice absorbs the arsenic - more than other fruits and vegetables. Even so called organic, brown rice can absorb unsafe levels.
Other arsenic laden ingredients in animal feed to prevent disease and promote growth are still permitted. Also, fertilizer made from poultry waste can contaminate crops with inorganic arsenic.
So, what's a parent to do? Don't feed your children - rice or foods made from rice more than once a week. And then, if you insist upon eating rice, only in very small amounts ( like a small serving once a week ). Wash all your fruits and vegetables well - preferably with filtered water.
Do you have a yard where you can grow a garden? You may want to first have your soil tested. Call a nearby county agricultural extension to find out how.
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