08/06/2025
Rice From Popular Brands Contains High Levels of Arsenic, New Report Reveals
Find out how you can reduce the risk.
By Michele Laufik
Michele Laufik
Michele Laufik is a freelance lifestyle writer and editor covering beauty & fashion, health & fitness, food, travel, and s*x & relationships.
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Published on May 19, 2025
Rice in a wooden bowl on wooden table
Credit: BURCU ATALAY TANKUT / Getty Images
A dinnertime staple for many families may pose some serious health risks. New tests by advocacy group Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF) found elevated arsenic levels and other heavy metals in a wide range of rice samples purchased nationwide.
The analysis looked at total heavy metal content across different rice types, growing regions, and alternative grains and included 105 brands, such as Ben's Original, Goya, and Lundberg, purchased from stores like Trader Joe’s and Walmart across the country. It found arsenic in all 145 rice samples.
For over 25 years, rice has been known to be a leading source of arsenic, a contaminant associated with health risks. Like many crops, rice absorbs metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury naturally found in soil. But rice tends to accumulate significantly more arsenic, making it a notable source of exposure.
Because of this, efforts were made to reduce arsenic levels in infant rice cereal, but not in rice itself. According to the new tests by HBBF, more than one in four samples of rice analyzed exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) limit for infant cereal, which is 100 micrograms per kilogram or 100 parts per billion1.
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While the levels of arsenic and other heavy metals found in rice are far lower than those that would cause acute poisoning, the health risks come from low-level, chronic intake over time, particularly during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood.
In contrast, samples of nine alternate grains, including quinoa, farro, and barley, contained 69 percent less heavy metal contamination than rice. The tests also identified three types of rice consistently lower in total heavy metals: California-grown rice, Thai jasmine rice, and Indian basmati rice. However, the study points out that these safer alternatives are typically more expensive.
Fortunately, you can reduce the amount of arsenic in rice by up to 60 percent by cooking it like pasta, according to the report. Boiling rice in excess water and draining it before serving significantly reduces the arsenic content.
To do this, cook rice in 6 to 10 cups of water per 1 cup of rice. Or you can partially cook rice in extra water in a rice cooker, drain it, and then finish cooking it with fresh water. Also, consider soaking rice for 30 minutes, or overnight, and drain it before cooking in boiling water. Simply rinsing rice isn’t effective.
When buying rice, look for types that typically contain lower levels of heavy metals, such as California rice, jasmine rice, and basmati rice. White rice grown in the southeast U.S., brown rice, and arborio rice from Italy are known to have higher levels of heavy metals. Also, precooked rice such as instant, parboiled, and ready-to-heat may be higher in other contaminants