Arsenic in Brown Rice Syrup?
Media reports on levels of arsenic in brown rice syrup have recently caused concern about the safety of this food ingredient. We researched the issue, as well as contacted our supplier, to understand the basis of the claims and to make an informed decision about our continued use of brown rice syrup.
Why is there concern about arsenic in brown rice syrup now? Recently, a highly-publicized study by Brian Jackson et al., published in Environmental Health Perspectives, drew the conclusion that organic brown rice syrup can contain high concentrations of arsenic. The study looked at cereal and energy bars which had brown rice syrup as one of their main ingredients and found total arsenic concentrations ranging from 8– 128ppb. The study also found that an infant milk formula that contained organic brown rice syrup “as the primary ingredient” had a combination of organic and inorganic arsenic totaling 60ppb (Jackson et al., 2011).
Why is there any arsenic in food? We learned that arsenic is a heavy metal that is ubiquitous and naturally present in air, soil, water, and foods. Therefore, dietary exposure to arsenic comes from a variety of different sources, including apple and grape juices, rice and other grains, potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, dairy products, chicken, and cooked spinach.
What are the limits for arsenic in food? Because arsenic is so common in foods, there currently are no limits for arsenic in foods, although the World Health Organization (WHO) established a provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) guideline of 2.1ppm per day (FAO/WHO 1983 cited in Jackson et al., 2011). Notably, this WHO guideline is based on a safe drinking water limit of 50ppb/L instead of the current EPA limit of 10ppb (Jackson et al., 2011). The drinking water standard set by the EPA is intended to limit arsenic exposure from water and is in addition to background exposures from the diet, so comparing the 10ppb water limit to the amounts found in foods is misleading.
What does this mean about the brown rice syrup in Vegenaise®? Unlike the products studied in Jackson’s article, Vegenaise does not contain brown rice syrup as a major ingredient (it comprises less than 5% of the total product). Even so, we, like our customers, want to ensure that Vegenaise contains only the highest-quality ingredients. Naturally, we contacted our supplier of brown rice syrups (conventional and organic) to find out more. We learned that because levels of arsenic in their brown rice syrup have been trivially low, arsenic is not something that is regularly measured. However, they are now measuring arsenic levels on a regular basis so they can develop a statistically relevant understanding of the levels of arsenic, both the relatively benign organic sub-type, and the more problematic inorganic form.
In addition, we are sending samples to an independent laboratory to be tested for the presence of both organic and inorganic arsenic. When these results are available, we will share them with our customers freely.
Here at Follow Your Heart, we are very serious about the safety and quality of our products and are dedicated to their continuous improvement. We understand that our customers expect only the best products, made with the highest quality and healthiest ingredients available, and we will continue to do everything we can to satisfy those expectations.
If you have any questions about this or other aspects of our products, please contact us directly at info@followyourheart.com. For full text of the original Jackson study: click here
Published 2 months, 3 weeks ago by FYH-Sheena Bliss under General
