Pantry
Fewer chemicalsIn FDA testing, basmati and short- or medium-grain white rice averaged about a fifth less inorganic arsenic per serving than white long-grain rice, and a 5-minute parboil before cooking cut white rice’s levels by up to 73% in a lab study.
Our pick
Nishiki Medium Grain Rice, 5 lb (80 oz)
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In FDA’s tests, basmati and short- and medium-grain white rice averaged lower than white long-grain, and brown rice averaged highest. Sweden’s food agency also found basmati significantly lower than other rice types.
Rice takes up arsenic more readily than other crops; in one study about 10× more moved from soil to grain than in wheat or barley. FDA found inorganic arsenic in every type of rice it tested. Inorganic arsenic is a known human carcinogen, and studies suggest a link to diabetes.
General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.
Prefer brown rice? Brown basmati samples averaged lower than brown rice overall in FDA’s tests (about 5.6 vs 7.2 mcg per serving), and cooking rice like pasta, then draining it, cuts inorganic arsenic by 40–60%.
Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.
Baby & Kids
Rice soaks up more arsenic than other grains, and FDA says oat, barley or multigrain cereal can be your baby’s first cereal instead.
Our pick
Gerber Stage 1 Organic Oatmeal infant cereal, 8 oz x 5
Pantry
Lead and cadmium turn up in a lot of dark chocolate. This bar tested well below California’s daily limits for both.
Our pick
Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86% Cacao Bar, 3.17 oz
