Unexpected Arsenic Source: Organic Foods Under Scrutiny

Introduction

As people seek healthier dietary regimens they often turn to things labeled "organic." Lurking in the background, however, is an ingredient that may be a hidden source of arsenic, an element known to be both toxic and potentially carcinogenic.

Main Digest

Organic Food

The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.

Organic brown rice syrup has become a preferred alternative to using high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in food. High fructose corn syrup has been criticized as a highly processed substance that is more harmful than sugar and is a substantial contributor to epidemic obesity. Unfortunately, organic brown rice syrup is not without its faults.

Dartmouth researchers and others have previously called attention to the potential for consuming harmful levels of arsenic via rice, and organic brown rice syrup may be the latest culprit on the scene.

With the introduction of organic brown rice syrup into food processing, even the savvy consumer may unknowingly be ingesting arsenic. Recognizing the danger, Brian Jackson and other Dartmouth researchers conducted a study to determine the concentrations of arsenic in commercial food products containing organic brown rice syrup including infant formula, cereal/energy bars, and high-energy foods used by endurance athletes.

The Results Were Alarming

One of the infant formulas had a total arsenic concentration of six times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) safe drinking water limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for total arsenic. Cereal bars and high-energy foods using organic brown rice syrup also had higher arsenic concentrations than those without the syrup.

Jackson,director of the Trace Element Analysis Core Facility at Dartmouth and a member of the college's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) funded Superfund Research Program, is lead author on the study published February 16, 2012, in Environmental Health Perspectives. His collaborators include researchers in Dartmouth's EPA and NIEHS funded Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center.

Jackson and his colleagues purchased commercial food products containing organic brown rice syrup and compared them with similar products that didn't contain the syrup. Seventeen infant formulas, 29 cereal bars, and 3 energy "shots" were all purchased from local stores in the Hanover, N.H., area.

Of the 17 infant milk formulas tested, only two had listed organic brown rice syrup as the primary ingredient. These two formulas, one dairy-based and one soy-based, were extremely high in arsenic, more than 20 times greater than the other formulas. The amount of inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form, averaged 8.6 ppb for the dairy based formula and 21.4 ppb for the soy formula.

This is of concern because these concentrations are comparable to, or greater than, the current U.S. drinking water limit of 10 ppb, and that limit does not account for the low body weight of infants and the corresponding increase in arsenic consumption per kilogram of body weight.

The Dartmouth researchers also tested 29 cereal bars and three types (flavors) of an energy product obtained from a supermarket. Twenty-two of the bars listed at least one of four rice products - organic brown rice syrup, rice flour, rice grain, and rice flakes - in the first five ingredients. The cereal bars ranged from 8 to 128 ppb in total arsenic; those that had no rice ingredients were lowest in arsenic and ranged from 8 to 27 ppb, while those that did contain a rice ingredient ranged from 23 to 128 ppb total arsenic.

With recent news coverage of the potential for rice to contain arsenic, educated consumers may be aware that cereal/energy bars containing rice ingredients could also contain arsenic.

The authors note that:

"By contrast the energy shots are gel-like blocks and, like the infant formulas, it would not be immediately apparent to the consumer that these too are rice-based products."

One of the three flavors of energy shots tested revealed about 84 ppb total arsenic (100 percent inorganic arsenic), while the other two showed 171 ppb total arsenic (53 percent inorganic arsenic). Jackson and his colleagues conclude that in the face of the increasing prevalence of hidden arsenic in food, and the absence of U. S. regulations in this area, "there is an urgent need for regulatory limits on arsenic in food."

Related Information

• Call for Changes in Drinking Water Standards: Most of the current secondary maximum contaminant levels implemented by the EPA are more than 50 years old.
• Water Wells in US and Canada Tainted by Arsenic: Naturally occurring arsenic in private wells threatens people in many U.S. states and parts of Canada.
• Future Conflicts Over Water Sources Inevitable: UN report warns without new water-related investments societies worldwide will confront rising desperation and conflicts over the essential resource.
• Illegal Levels of Arsenic Found in Baby Foods: Institute for Global Food Security finds 50% of baby rice food products still contain an illegal level of inorganic arsenic.
• Baby Formula Higher Arsenic Than Breast Milk: Study of urinary arsenic in babies found formula-fed infants had higher arsenic levels than breast-fed infants, and breast milk contained very low arsenic concentrations.
• Arsenic Groundwater Poisoning in Asia: Scientists offer solutions to arsenic groundwater poisoning in southern Asia.
• Groundwater Pollution and Radiation Contamination in Cemeteries and Local Communities: Information regarding toxic chemicals used in the burial process that can cause environmental contamination and groundwater pollution.

Attribution/Source(s):

This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its significant relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Dartmouth College, and published on 2012/02/17 (Edit Update: 2024/06/23), the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, Dartmouth College can be contacted at home.dartmouth.edu. NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.

Related Publications▶ Share This Page

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource that provides information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004 our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite This Page (APA): Dartmouth College. (2012, February 17 - Last revised: 2024, June 23). Unexpected Arsenic Source: Organic Foods Under Scrutiny. Disabled World. Retrieved September 12, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/fitness/nutrition/foodsecurity/arsenic.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/nutrition/foodsecurity/arsenic.php">Unexpected Arsenic Source: Organic Foods Under Scrutiny</a>: Concentrations of arsenic in commercial food products containing organic brown rice syrup including infant formula, cereal energy bars, and high energy foods used by athletes.

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.