Consumer Reports recently published a comprehensive article that finds potentially toxic levels of arsenic in rice. They are trying to push the EPA to set limits for how much arsenic can be found in rice and to set guidelines for how much arsenic a person can consume before it reaches toxic levels. I always remind myself that the EPA, while it is supposed to protect the consumer, also answers to the producers; so whatever limits they set are probably a little higher than I would feel comfortable with. As for the producers? I don’t trust them at all.
My overall recommendation, if you want to skip the rest of this, is this: limit adult consumption of rice to about half a cup of cooked rice a few days a week, limit children’s consumption of rice to less than that, and limit infant consumption of rice cereal to one serving several times a week. The recommendations that follow are from the Consumer Reports article and a list of rice products and the arsenic levels found in them can be found in the first link listed in resource (it’s the consumer reports link).
Keep in mind that I have no idea how much rice-product your infant normally eats, or how much rice you are used to eating at home. If it is going to overly burden you to find other healthy foods to eat, then just reduce your intake a little. The truth is that you can’t avoid every toxin and we don’t know that the foods you choose to substitute rice with aren’t also contaminated with something.
Sprouted Health 