Arsenic in Rice-Based Food Products for Adults and Children

Abstract

Currently, there is a range of rice-based foods such as baby foods, crackers, porridge, and milk, among others. Children and celiac population highly consume these foods. Rice and rice-based food are essential for society due to their health benefits and historical cultivation. However, nowadays, rice is the focus of several studies not only for the benefits but also because it is a plant able to absorb about tenfold more arsenic (As) than other cereals. Arsenic is known by its genotoxic and carcinogenic capacity, mainly concerning inorganic As (i-As), about 100-fold more toxic than organic As. Several rice-based foods were above 200 μg kg−1, the maximum limit recommended by Codex for i-As, such as husked rice flour with a concentration of 528 μg kg−1. Other rice-based foods with lower concentrations of i-As, such as milk with 4.3 μg kg−1, are also relevant to mention since there is no safe daily intake for As. In this regard, values for confidence limit lower than the reference dose (BMDL 0.1) of 0.3 to 8 μg kg−1 body weight per day are used for assessment and characterization of the related health risks, such as bladder cancer. Thus, the determination of As concentrations in these foods is fundamental for a better risk assessment, especially concerning children, due to their physical and physiological condition, in which they may be more exposed to the damages caused by As when compared to adults in general.