Suspect Sweetener: Arsenic Detected in Organic Brown Rice Syrup

Abstract

Vol. 120, No. 5 News | Science SelectionsOpen AccessSuspect Sweetener: Arsenic Detected in Organic Brown Rice Syrupis accompanied byArsenic, Organic Foods, and Brown Rice Syrup Wendee Holtcamp Wendee Holtcamp Search for more papers by this author Published:1 May 2012https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.120-a204aCited by:2View Article in:中文版AboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit Organic brown rice syrup (OBRS) is a sweetener frequently used as an alternative to high-fructose corn syrup in organic and health food products. In a study of children’s foods, a team of researchers discovered high levels of arsenic in toddler formula products that contained OBRS. Given evidence that arsenic accumulates in rice at high levels, the researchers suspected OBRS was the source of the arsenic in the formulas—a suspicion corroborated by additional tests of several products both with and without the sweetener [EHP 120(5):623–626; Jackson et al].The researchers tested 3 commercially available brown rice syrups, 29 cereal bars (18 with OBRS), 3 high-performance “energy shot blocks” with OBRS, 15 infant formulas without the sweetener, and 2 toddler formulas with it. The researchers measured inorganic arsenic as well as the organic chemical species dimethylarsenate (DMA) and monomethylarsenate (MMA), which are generally believed to be less toxic than inorganic arsenic.The two toddler formulas tested are the only ones known to be made with OBRS.© Getty ImagesThe OBRS-sweetened toddler formulas (one soy-based, one milk-based) had about 20 times the total arsenic concentrations of the non-OBRS infant formulas. Samples of prepared milk-based toddler formula had inorganic arsenic concentrations just below the current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standard of 10 µg/L, whereas inorganic arsenic in samples of soy-based toddler formula tested 1.5–2.5 times above the EPA standard.In the brown rice syrups tested, inorganic arsenic made up 80–90% of the arsenic content of two of the syrups and half the arsenic content of the third. All three also contained DMA, with lesser amounts of MMA. All 29 cereal bars tested contained some arsenic, but those without any rice-based ingredients had the lowest levels. Nearly 60% of the others contained inorganic arsenic. The three energy shot blocks contained enough inorganic arsenic that if an individual were to consume the manufacturer-recommended four servings during a two-hour workout, they would ingest the equivalent of drinking a liter of water containing 10 µg/L arsenic; total arsenic would be twice that.The two toddler formulas tested were the only ones the researchers could find that contained OBRS. However, they estimate that approximately half of all cereal and energy bars contain OBRS or other rice products, and they conclude that food containing OBRS may be a major pathway to arsenic exposure for some people. Although the health effects of low-level arsenic exposure over limited durations are unknown, childhood exposure may affect lifelong health and should be limited. The authors therefore urge U.S. regulators to establish limits for arsenic levels in food, particularly infant and toddler formulas.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited by Jones J (2012) Recent Research on Folate Intake, Rice Products, Fiber Intake, and Enzyme Degradation of Gluten, Cereal Foods World, 10.1094/CFW-57-5-0235, 57:5, (235-238), Online publication date: 1-Sep-2012. Li Y, Carrillo J, Ding Y, He Y, Zhao C, Liu J, Liu G, Zan L, Song J and Fugmann S (2015) Transcriptomic Profiling of Spleen in Grass-Fed and Grain-Fed Angus Cattle, PLOS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0135670, 10:9, (e0135670) Related articlesArsenic, Organic Foods, and Brown Rice Syrup16 February 2012Environmental Health Perspectives Vol. 120, No. 5 May 2012Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 May 2012Published in print1 May 2012 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.