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Arsenic in Rice

Discussion in 'Zoo Cafe' started by wensleydale, 27 Feb 2015.

  1. wensleydale

    wensleydale Well-Known Member

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    Has anyone heard about the whole arsenic in rice debacle? Apparently there are dangerously high levels of arsenic in pretty much every rice product according to Consumer Reports.

    How Much Arsenic Is in Your Rice - Consumer Reports

    Has anyone else been following this and has anyone else changed their rice eating habits? Is anyone else worried? I'm eating less of it, cooking it a different way, and counting how many servings I have a week. I've been eating more millet and somewhat more quinoa (quinoa is expensive!), and plan to eat more wheat berries once I figure out a way to cook them satisfactorily in my high powered pressure cooker.
     
  2. Zooplantman

    Zooplantman Well-Known Member

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    Been eating rice weekly for 50 years. Other than the uncontrollable twitching I can't say I am worried
     
  3. lowland anoa

    lowland anoa Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I'm stopping eating rice for now.
     
  4. LaughingDove

    LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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    I had a quick skim through the article but it looks like this is just to do with rice in the US?
    Anyway, rice is my absolute staple food and I eat at least five meals that are just fried rice with things in it per week and more than seven meals that have rice as a side dish per week. This is due to being half Burmese and born and spent my early years in Thailand.
    I'm still alive :p.
     
  5. gentle lemur

    gentle lemur Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Read the advice from the Food Standards Agency here: https://www.food.gov.uk/science/arsenic-in-rice.
    I was pleased to see, from other publications, that Basmati rice from India has the lowest recorded levels of arsenic - as that is my preferred type of rice.

    Alan
     
  6. cloudedleopard

    cloudedleopard Well-Known Member

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    I know that "baby rice" cereal has high amounts of arsenic, so they are not recommending it now for babies. Interesting thread.
     
  7. wensleydale

    wensleydale Well-Known Member

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    I'm so happy people have actually responded to this thread.

    I love Basmati however I am having a hard time finding brown basmati economically (I love white basmati but because it has less fiber and also because I have diabetic relatives whom I cook for I haven't had it in years). I'm down to two servings a week of rice maximum. This is hard as I love rice. I love quinoa as well due to the fact that it reminds me of rice and can fill me up quicker and keep me full longer (so good prior to an evening activity or class) but it is so expensive. And I have seen the price shoot up dramatically during the past few years.

    According to the British the thing to give a small child is barley cereal, or so I have been told. Is that true?
     
  8. gentle lemur

    gentle lemur Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Basmati rice is freely available in the UK, our national favourite dish of chicken tikka marsala would not be the same without it. I don't recall barley in from my childhood, but I do have a fondness for the liquids produced from barley after it has been malted ;)

    Alan