Arsenic

The first batch of test results posted in February 2015 on Gluten Free Watchdog. Five popular gluten-free brands of breakfast cereals were tested for arsenic, namely General Mills Rice Chex, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Erewhon Cocoa Crispy, Enjoy Life Foods Perky’s Crunchy Rice, and Cream of Rice. The next batch of products to be tested for arsenic includes popular gluten-free brands of rice-based pasta, namely Lundberg Brown Rice Pasta, DeBoles Rice Lasagna, Mrs Leeper’s Rice Vegetable Twists, Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta, and Jovial Brown Rice Pasta.

Testing is conducted at the Dartmouth Trace Element Analysis Core at the Center for Environmental Health Sciences at Dartmouth. Findings for both total arsenic and inorganic arsenic are reported.

The results to date have been a mixed bag with some cereals testing above the Codex Proposed Draft Maximum Level for Inorganic Arsenic in Polished Rice (200 ppb inorganic arsenic) and the maximum level that appears to be under consideration in the European Union for foods eaten by infants and young children (100 ppb inorganic arsenic).

For more information, please see https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/blog/Gluten-Free-Watchdog-Now-Testing-Rice-Based-Gluten-Free-Foods-for-Arsenic/48

 

Gluten Free Watchdog Testing Rice-Based Foods for Arsenic