FDA studies reveal drop in infant rice cereal’s arsenic levels

09 Mar 2020 --- The amount of infant rice cereals that do not surpass the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s recommendation for inorganic arsenic levels has risen to 76 percent (2018) from 36 percent (2011-2013). This is the result of tests including 149 infant rice cereals – both white and brown – in response to the FDA’s 2016 Draft Guidance for Industry. This proposed an action level of 100 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals. The agency says the data affirms that the current proposed action level is achievable with the use of good manufacturing practices, such as sourcing rice with lower levels of inorganic arsenic.

In the most recent tests, infant rice cereals ranged from having 22 to 142 ppb, with an average of 85 ppb of inorganic arsenic. Meanwhile, a document posted by the FDA in 2016 shows a previous range of 21 to 176 ppb in cereals, with an average of 103 ppb of inorganic arsenic.

While both white and brown rice cereals showed improvement in meeting the 100 ppb level, the improvement was the greatest for white rice cereals, which tend to have lower levels of inorganic arsenic overall. 

While organic arsenic compounds contain carbon, inorganic arsenic compounds contain arsenic with a non-carbon element such as oxygen. Current research suggests that inorganic arsenic can lead to more severe toxicity and negative health effects than organic forms. 

Arsenic exposure in young children is associated with impaired intellectual development.Long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic has been associated with skin disorders and increased risks for skin, bladder and lung cancers. Short-term exposure to very high amounts of inorganic arsenic can result in nausea, vomiting, bruising and numbness as well as burning sensations in the hands and feet. In light of these risks, researchers at dietary supplements company NOW recently developed an identification method testing for the presence of inorganic arsenic in krill oil.

Additionally, arsenic exposure in the very young is associated with impaired intellectual development, such as decreased performance on certain developmental tests that measure learning. For this reason, the FDA prioritizes monitoring and regulating products that are more likely to be consumed by very young children.

While the FDA’s latest overview only included samples that had rice as the sole grain, the organization flags that rice cereal does not need to be the only or first source of infant nutrients. Other iron-fortified infant cereals include oat, barley and multigrain. Pregnant mothers are also advised to eat a variety of grains as part of a well-balanced diet.

Last year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) suggested that the complementary feeding of infants should begin between three and six months. It concluded that most infants do not need complementary foods for nutritional reasons until around six months, except for some exclusively breastfed infants at risk of iron depletion. However, the European division of The World Health Organization (WHO) slammed the baby food market, noting that a large proportion of products are high in sugar and incorrectly promoted as suitable for infants under six months.

Earlier this year, the Grain Foods Foundation hoped to inform the development of the first-ever Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025) to include specific recommendations for infants and toddlers with its new study. The Foundation highlighted research finding that infant grain consumption was generally associated with higher nutrient intakes, better diet quality scores and broader food group intake.

These moves come as infant nutrition continues to be the focus of great attention. According to Innova Market Insights, there has been a 13 percent average annual growth of infant nutrition launches (2014-2018). Baby cereals and biscuits are the fourth market category, representing 18 percent of infant nutrition launches in 2018. However, the subcategory saw a CAGR of 11 percent (2014-2018). 

Edited by Katherine Durrell