Marc Joseph Nutrition - Blog

In a market-basket survey published in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers found that arsenic levels in U.S. rice varied significantly by region.

Specifically, rice grown in the south central U.S. (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, & Missouri) was on average 41% higher in arsenic than rice grown in California (0.27 mcg/g verus 0.16 mcg/g).

The scientists hypothesized that the higher level of arsenic found in south central U.S. rice could be attributed to the arsenic-containing pesticides previously used on the cotton fields that are now used for growing rice. Industry is currently trying to develop strains of rice that take up less arsenic from the soil.

Assessing Risk

Presently the government sets no maximum contaminant level for arsenic in food. The EPA has set a 10 mcg per liter limit for inorganic arsenic in drinking water.

The average consumption of rice in the U.S. is 25 grams per day. However, some ethnic groups, as well as people pursuing a gluten-free diet (e.g., individuals with Celiac diesease or on the autistic spectrum), may eat much more, and thus may be at risk for higher arsenic exposure. Also, as the researchers note, young children tend to eat much larger portions of rice relative to their small size.

Previous studies suggest that the percentage of inorganic arsenic (the most toxic form) found in U.S. rice varies widely, from 10% to 70% of the total arsenic in the rice. A person eating an average rice portion size of 100 grams with an arsenic content of 0.3 mcg/g would ingest 30 mcg of arsenic. If 50% of that arsenic were inorganic, total dietary exposure from rice alone would be 15 mcg, exceeding the EPA limit for a liter of water.

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The growing influence of China on the world’s food market is indisputable:

According to the latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, China produced nearly half of the world’s vegetables—five times the U.S. share. China also produced 16% of the world’s fruit, more than double the U.S. share. And its growth in agriculture, as in manufacturing, is staggering. In the last four years for which data are available, China added 5.7 million acres to the cultivation of vegetables. That’s 50% more than the total land used for vegetable farming in the U.S.

Yet, this recent Business Week article raises questions regarding potential produce contamination:

What’s not to like about reasonably priced berries in January? Well, some food experts are concerned. The trouble is that perishable commodities shipped over vast distances are some of the most vulnerable to contamination and other issues. Rutgers’ Hallman points out that much fresh produce is meant to be eaten raw, and there’s no way to kill microorganisms they may contain, the way food companies can use irradiation on poultry or meat. “The longer the distance that the fresh produce travels, the more chances there are for contamination from mishandling and more time for the microbes to multiply,” says Hallman.

China’s record with food imports isn’t reassuring. Just last month, 107 food imports from China were detained by the Food & Drug Administration at U.S. ports, according to The Washington Post. Among them were dried apples preserved with a cancer-causing chemical and mushrooms laced with illegal pesticides.

Organic produce from China may have risks, too:

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Increasing vegetable and fruit consumption has been shown to help reduce the risk of developing many chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s, colon cancer, stroke, heart disease, and more.

As you increase produce consumption, though, you may also increase your risk for exposure to pesticides. Small levels of pesticide exposure over prolonged periods of time may increase the risk of damage to the nervous and endocrine systems.

Should you only buy organically grown produce? That’s a tough call. Organically grown produce is becoming more widely available,and prices are falling. But for many people, organic produce is still prohibitively expensive and not easy to obtain.

The truth is that pesticides are used more heavily in growing some crops than others. The Environmental Working Group has put together a useful guide showing the produce with the highest and lowest pesticide levels, including:

• HIGH: Apples, pears, nectarines, peaches, berries of all kinds, leafy greens, celery, bell peppers, etc.
• LOW: Onions, avocados, mangoes, papayas, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, etc.

You can find the complete list here.

Note that the testing results took into account how most people prepare these produce items before eating them. For example, apples were washed before testing.

Your best bet is to buy organic if possible for those vegetables and fruits that show higher pesticide levels, but not to worry so much about buying organic for produce that shows lower levels.

And even if you can’t find or afford organic produce, you’re better off eating more non-organic produce than no produce at all. Just wash all non-organic produce as well as you can. You can also remove the peel (e.g., with an apple or pear), but then you lose some of the good nutrients contained in it. It’s a trade-off.

Acrylamide is a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) that is found in significant amounts in carbohydrates and high-sugar foods that are cooked at high temperatures.

The FDA recently updated its list of the acrylamide levels found in various foods.

Some of the foods highest in acrylamide include:

• restaurant french fries
• oven-baked french fries
• potato chips (both fried and baked)
• baked snack foods other than potato chips
• hot drinks high in sugar

A definitive link between the acrylamide content in food and cancer in humans has not been proven. The Swedish studies in 2002 that highlighted the issue of acrylamide content in food and cancer were done with mice.

That said, the types of foods high in acrylamide are generally ones you’d not want to make a regular part of your diet anyway.

For more info on acrylamide in food, here’s a useful site.