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Arsenic in Foods and Young Children

You may have heard that rice contains high levels of arsenic. This sounds pretty scary! Chronic exposure to arsenic in water and foods can be very harmful. In the past, arsenic was used widely to make pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers as well as pressure treated wood, but these products have largely been banned. 

Arsenic is an element that also occurs naturally in the environment and it can enter the food supply through water, soil or air. It exists in organic and inorganic forms. The inorganic form is more toxic and is found in very low levels in many types of foods but levels are higher in fruit juice, rice and rice-based products compared to other foods. A diet that contains higher levels of this inorganic form of arsenic during pregnancy and childhood has been linked to child development problems and chronic exposure can lead to cancer later in life. Overall, children are more vulnerable to the effects of arsenic because they have smaller still developing bodies, and possibly less variety in their diets.

Health Canada maintains that the concentrations of arsenic in foods sold in Canada are low and have been stable for many years. Although the levels of arsenic in foods sold in Canada are generally low, you can reduce your exposure to arsenic from foods in several ways.

  • Avoid fruit juice.
  • Enjoy a variety of whole grains (whole grain whole wheat bread and pasta, oats, quinoa, bulgur, whole grain cornmeal, popcorn etc.)
  • Infant rice cereal can still be offered but it is recommended that it not be the only cereal in an infant’s diet. Include a variety of other infant cereals.
  • When cooking rice, rinse raw rice first and use a 6:1 water-to-rice ratio (or higher) and drain the excess water (like cooking pasta). This can decrease the arsenic content but unfortunately more nutrients will be lost. 
  • Limit processed rice-based snack foods such as rice-based biscuits, wafers, or crackers which may have higher amounts of arsenic than other snacks and are often low in nutrients. 
  •   Avoid rice-based beverages as a primary source of milk.

 

In general, a varied diet will promote good nutrition and also reduce the risk of exposure to arsenic. For more information call 519-663-5317.

References:

Alberta Health Services (2021) Retrieved from https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-ng-infants-children-arsenic-in-foods.pdf

Health Canada (2021)  Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/chemical-contaminants/environmental-contaminants/arsenic.html

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2019) Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/food/metals-and-your-food/what-you-can-do-limit-exposure-arsenic

Submitted by Ginette Blake BASc RD on behalf to the Middlesex-London Community Early Years Partnership

 

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