Arsenic in rice: a practical guide for families

At The Conscious Parent, we see elevated arsenic readings on many HTMA reports. That can naturally lead to questions about food, water and the home. Rice is one possible dietary source of inorganic arsenic, but a hair result cannot tell us that rice is the cause. It cannot diagnose arsenic toxicity either. The useful next step is to understand the wider picture without turning an everyday food into something to fear.

Rice can still have a place at the family table. If it appears often in your household, there are simple ways to add variety and a cooking method that has been studied for reducing inorganic arsenic in rice.

Quick answer: To reduce inorganic arsenic in rice, wash and soak the rice, boil it in plenty of water for five minutes, drain that water away, then finish cooking it in fresh water. This parboiling-with-absorption method (PBA) reduced inorganic arsenic by 54% in brown rice and 73% in white rice in one University of Sheffield study. Those are study results, not a guaranteed reduction for every rice variety, batch or home kitchen.

Why does rice contain arsenic?

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and water. Human activity can also affect levels in some places. Rice tends to take up more arsenic than many other cereal crops because it is commonly grown in flooded fields.

Flooding changes the soil chemistry. Some forms of arsenic become more mobile in waterlogged soil, and rice roots can take them up. The plant also uses transport pathways that normally help it absorb silicon, which helps explain why rice can be particularly efficient at taking up arsenite, a form of inorganic arsenic.

The amount in a particular food varies. Growing region, soil and irrigation water, rice variety, processing and the conditions on the farm can all matter. The label on a packet cannot tell you the arsenic level in that batch, and choosing organic rice does not guarantee a lower level.

Inorganic arsenic and organic arsenic mean different things

The words inorganic and organic describe the chemical form of arsenic. They do not tell you whether a food was grown organically. Inorganic arsenic is the form of greater concern in rice and drinking water. Seafood often contains different, generally less toxic organic forms, which is one reason total arsenic results need careful interpretation.

This is a question of repeated exposure over time, not a reason to assume that one meal of rice has harmed anyone. A calm, useful response is to notice how often rice-based foods appear and make practical changes where they fit.

Why rice can matter more in a child’s diet

Children eat more food and drink relative to their body weight than adults. If rice is a regular feature across meals and snacks, it can make a larger contribution to their overall exposure than it would for an adult eating the same foods less often.

Rice can be easy to miss because it turns up in many forms: baby rice, rice cereal, rice cakes, rice crackers, rice flour in gluten-free foods, and rice drinks. A child might have rice cereal at breakfast, a rice cake as a snack and rice at dinner.

Is there arsenic in rice milk?

Arsenic has been measured in rice drinks, sometimes called rice milk. The amount and chemical forms vary between products and samples. Rice drinks are made from rice, so they are a distinct consideration from oat, almond or other plant drinks.

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency advises that children under five should not be given rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk, infant formula or cow’s milk. This is because young children drink more relative to their body weight. If your child has an allergy or dietary restriction, choosing a suitable alternative can depend on age, nutrition and the individual child; a paediatric dietitian or other appropriately qualified clinician can help with that decision.

If your child has had rice drink before, this is not a reason to panic. The practical point is to choose a different age-appropriate drink going forward and ask for individual advice if you are unsure what meets your child’s needs.

How to cook rice to reduce arsenic

The parboil-and-absorb method

University of Sheffield researchers tested a home cooking method called parboiling with absorption, or PBA. It uses a short boil in excess water, followed by fresh water for the rest of the cooking.

For one cup of dry rice:

1. Bring four cups of water to the boil.
2. Add the rice and boil for five minutes.
3. Drain the water away.
4. Add two cups of fresh water.
5. Cover and cook over a low to medium heat until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

The water change is the key part. Arsenic is water-soluble, so some moves out of the rice during the first boil. Draining that water away removes what has been released before the rice finishes cooking.

In the Sheffield team’s 2021 study, PBA reduced inorganic arsenic by 73% in the white rice and 54% in the brown rice tested. The researchers found the method retained more nutrient elements than cooking in excess water and draining at the end. A later Sheffield study compared PBA with excess-water cooking and found broadly similar inorganic arsenic reductions for white and brown rice in the samples tested. Results depend on the rice and cooking conditions, and the water used matters: arsenic-containing water can add arsenic back during cooking.

This is a useful option when it suits the meal. If it does not suit the rice variety, recipe or evening you are having, ordinary rice is still food. You can also reduce reliance on rice across the week.

Does rinsing rice remove arsenic?

Rinsing can remove loose starch and surface dust, but it is not the same as draining away the water after boiling. Research comparing home methods found rinsing alone did not remove as much inorganic arsenic as methods that changed the cooking water.

Does soaking rice remove arsenic?

Soaking may move some water-soluble arsenic into the soaking water, but results vary. If you soak rice, discard the water and cook with fresh water. Soaking alone has not been shown to be as reliable as the tested PBA method.

What about cooking rice like pasta?

Cooking rice in a larger volume of water and draining it at the end can also reduce inorganic arsenic. It may remove more nutrients too, depending on the rice and method. The Sheffield research offers PBA as another home option that reduces arsenic while retaining more of the measured nutrient elements in the study.

Brown rice or white rice: which is lower in arsenic?

Brown rice often contains more arsenic than white rice because the bran layer remains. Arsenic can concentrate in the outer layers of the grain. Milling removes some of that layer, which generally lowers arsenic, but also removes fibre and some nutrients.

Neither type needs to be labelled “good” or “bad”. They have different nutritional profiles, and arsenic levels vary by source and batch. Basmati rice is sometimes described as a lower-arsenic option, but origin and sample variation mean it is not a guarantee. Variety across grains and starches is a more dependable family-level approach than trying to find one perfect packet.

Rice food	What to keep in mind	A practical family approach
Brown rice	The bran remains, and arsenic can be higher than in white rice	Include it if you enjoy it; soak, wash and use a water-changing cooking method
White rice	Often lower in arsenic than brown rice, with less fibre	A reasonable option in a varied diet. Wash and use a water-changing cooking method
Basmati rice	Some samples have lower levels, but origin and batch matter	Treat it as a choice, not a guarantee. Wash and use a water-changing cooking method
Rice cakes, baby rice and cereal	Easy to serve frequently, especially to young children	Rotate, look for other options.
Rice flour and gluten-free foods	Rice may appear in several packaged foods on the same day	Check the overall pattern, not just one label
Rice drinks	Arsenic has been measured in rice drinks	UK advice is to avoid using them as a milk substitute for children under five

What about rice cakes, baby rice and gluten-free diets?

Convenient foods can become staples because they are easy to pack, familiar and often marketed for babies or children. That does not mean they need to disappear from the cupboard. It can help to notice how often rice is doing the work of a snack, cereal, flour and main meal all at once.

For a child who eats a restricted range, changes need to feel manageable. Keep familiar foods available while gently offering other textures and options. Depending on the family and the child, alternatives might include oatcakes, potatoes, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, millet or another suitable food. A child with allergies, coeliac disease or a very limited diet may need individual nutritional advice before staple foods are removed.

Why does Sweden advise against rice cakes for young children?

The advice is not the same in every country. Sweden’s Food Agency advises parents not to give rice cakes to children under six, and also advises against rice-based drinks for this age group. It recommends that children do not eat rice or rice products more than four times a week. The agency says that eating rice and rice products a few times a week, as is common in Sweden, does not in itself constitute a health risk.

The published UK advice is narrower: the Food Standards Agency says children under five should not be given rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk, infant formula or cow’s milk. It does not give the same specific under-six advice about rice cakes. This difference is useful context, rather than a reason to assume that all rice must be avoided. If rice cakes are a regular snack in your home, the Swedish advice gives a clear reason to rotate them with other options, particularly for younger children.

For a child who eats a restricted range, changes need to feel manageable. Keep familiar foods available while gently offering other textures and options. Depending on the family and the child, alternatives might include oatcakes, potatoes, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, millet or another suitable food. A child with allergies, coeliac disease or a very limited diet may need individual nutritional advice before staple foods are removed.

The water used for cooking matters

The PBA method relies on water that is low in arsenic. If the water contains arsenic, cooking can increase the amount in the rice, even when the method is intended to reduce it.

Filters differ: a product needs to be tested and specified for arsenic removal to be relevant. A general-purpose filter should not be assumed to remove it.

What does a high arsenic reading on an HTMA mean?

At The Conscious Parent, we see elevated arsenic readings on many hair tissue mineral analysis reports. We take that as a prompt to ask about the person’s wider context, including food, water, work and home environment, and the sample itself.

An HTMA result cannot diagnose arsenic toxicity, establish how much arsenic a person has absorbed, or identify rice as the source.

Frequently asked questions about arsenic in rice

Should I stop feeding my family rice?

Usually, the more proportionate step is to vary the diet and consider the PBA cooking method when it suits your meal. Rice does not need to be treated as dangerous because it can contain inorganic arsenic but rice choice and reliance on it should be addressed.

Is organic rice lower in arsenic?

Organic certification does not guarantee low arsenic. Arsenic can occur naturally in soil and water, and can remain from historical contamination. The growing conditions and source matter.

Is rice milk safe for children?

Rice drinks can contain arsenic. UK guidance is that children under five should not use rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk, infant formula or cow’s milk. For a child with an allergy or dietary restriction, seek individual advice on a nutritionally suitable alternative.

Does cooking rice remove all the arsenic?

No. Cooking methods can reduce some inorganic arsenic, but they do not remove it all. The amount removed varies with the rice, water and cooking conditions.

Can an HTMA tell me whether rice caused a high arsenic result?

No. An HTMA cannot identify a specific source or diagnose arsenic toxicity. Food, water, environment, occupational exposure and possible sample contamination all need to be considered, and appropriate clinical testing may be needed.

A calmer way to think about arsenic in rice

Rice can be part of family life while we stay curious about the wider pattern. Notice how often rice-based foods appear, add other grains and starches in ways that work for your household, and use the PBA method when it fits your cooking. If you have a real concern about water or another exposure, investigate that source directly rather than trying to infer it from a food label.

At The Conscious Parent, we look at the conditions around a person: what they eat, drink, breathe and encounter in everyday life. An arsenic reading can open a useful conversation, but good decisions come from context, proportion and evidence.

If you have questions about arsenic, HTMA, drinking-water testing or filtration products, please send us an email.

 

 

 

HTMA is a nutritional screening tool. It does not diagnose arsenic toxicity, identify the precise source of exposure or replace appropriate medical testing and advice. If significant or ongoing arsenic exposure is suspected, seek advice from an appropriate healthcare professional.