Rice cakes and other rice-based foods are one of the most popular snacks for babies and toddlers, but now a new study warns these products most likely contain dangerously high levels of arsenic – a substance that has been heavily linked to many health problems, including cancer.
According to researchers at the Queen's University in Belfast,
dangerous levels of inorganic arsenic is also often found in babies who are given formula milk, especially of the non-dairy variety.
The EU brought in new rules early last year in an attempt to reduce exposure to the toxic chemical, but these new findings now raise serious doubts over how effective these actually are.
This is what Andy Meharg, a professor of plant and soil sciences at Queen’s University, who led the research, told the Guardian about his team's findings, which were published in the journal
Plos One:
“This research has shown direct evidence that babies are exposed to illegal levels of arsenic despite the EU regulation to specifically address the health challenge,” Meharg explains. “Babies are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of arsenic, which can prevent healthy development of a baby’s growth, IQ and immune system, to name but a few."
Meharg and his colleagues based their findings on urine samples taken from 79 infants tested before and after they had been weaned and on analysis of unnamed branded products, and the professor explains that rice-based products feature heavily in babies' diets.
"This study found that almost three-quarters of baby crackers specifically marketed for children exceeded the maximum amount of arsenic.”
The researchers are keen to underline the seriousness of their findings and think there is an urgent need for food manufacturers to do more to cut the amount of arsenic in their products aimed at babies and children.
"Food producers could reduce arsenic levels by as much as 85% by percolating the rice before using it," Meharg explains. "Simple measures can be taken to dramatically reduce the arsenic in these products, so there is no excuse for manufacturers to be selling baby food products with such harmful levels of this carcinogenic substance.”
In the meantime, he urges, Parents should seek out the rice products with the lowest arsenic content “in order to protect this vulnerable group."
