Navigating the Facts: Arsenic Levels in Rice for the Conscious Consumer

Here at LeafSide, our priority is ensuring the safety of the foods you love. We closely monitor a variety of food safety factors, including the presence of heavy metals like arsenic.
First things first: Some facts about arsenic. It is a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust. It’s in the soil, the water, and therefore, it gets into our food. The health risk is primarily associated with one type: Inorganic Arsenic.

Inorganic Arsenic (The Concern): This is the form found in soil and water, both naturally and from historical pesticide use. Rice plants are particularly efficient at absorbing it from flooded fields.

Organic Arsenic (Relatively Harmless): In its proper chemical sense, “organic” arsenic means the arsenic atoms are bound to carbon. This form is much less toxic because it passes through the body quickly and is considered largely harmless.

When discussing regulatory limits and health risks in rice, we focus almost exclusively on the inorganic form. And, LeafSide always selects limits lower (safer) than existing regulatory levels.

How does LeafSide reduce the risk and select the best rice? The amount of arsenic in rice varies by growing region and type (e.g., U.S. rice grown on former cotton fields often has higher levels). Crucially, post-harvest processing can significantly alter the final concentration.

Brown Rice tends to be higher in arsenic because the bran layer is left intact, retaining higher levels of this contaminant.
White rice removes the bran (outer layer) and eliminates a significant amount of arsenic.
Parboiling rice involves soaking and steaming, which removes even more inorganic arsenic while retaining key nutrients better than other cooking methods.

LeafSide tests and selects only parboiled white rice, and we actively avoid suppliers from regions with a history of high inorganic arsenic levels. The result is our ability to now include delicious rice (and rice noodles) in some of our products, which still prioritize the safety and nutrition of the foods you love.