Arsenic in baby rice is a cancer risk, say scientists

Arsenic levels in rice-based baby foods are high enough to put children eating them at risk of a range of cancers, according to scientists who have carried out a survey of arsenic levels in three common brands. They calculate that a baby eating the food with the highest arsenic content would receive around six times the maximum arsenic dose allowable under regulations governing arsenic in water.

While the Food Standards Agency says that there is no danger to infants, the scientists would like regulations to be updated. They argue that limits on arsenic in food are out of date and do not take into account recent scientific studies showing that chronic exposure to the element can contribute to lung and bladder cancer, for example. At present, most rice in UK baby foods comes from Europe, but the scientists said it would be better to use rice from low-arsenic regions, such as parts of the Indian subcontinent, California or from Cádiz and Seville in Spain. More........