Concern over arsenic in infants’ rice products rises after US study

Infants who ate rice or rice products had higher concentrations of arsenic in their urine than those who did not, US research published in JAMA Pediatrics has found.1 However, stricter controls on arsenic in rice products in the European Union mean that this is less likely to be a problem in the United Kingdom.

The study included 759 infants in New Hampshire who were followed up every four months until 12 months of age. At 12 months, dietary patterns from the past week were assessed. The researchers found that 80% of the infants had been introduced to rice cereal in the first year of life, 64% starting at 4 …