Is There Arsenic in Rice?
Yes, testing finds inorganic arsenic in rice. In tests Consumer Reports published in July 2026, 42 percent of the rice products had average inorganic arsenic levels high enough that an adult eating one serving a day over time would have a significantly increased risk of skin cancer, bladder cancer and type 2 diabetes, according to Consumer Reports. Brown rice averaged 113 parts per billion and white rice 72.
The FDA’s 2016 risk assessment estimated the lung and bladder cancer risk from a lifetime of eating rice and rice products at 39 cases per million people, which it called a small portion of all cases of those cancers. For adults, the FDA says long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic has been associated with skin disorders, higher risks of skin, bladder and lung cancers, and cardiovascular disease.
How you cook it matters. The FDA says cooking rice like pasta, in 6 to 10 parts water and draining the excess, can cut inorganic arsenic by 40 to 60 percent, though it also lowers the nutritional value of enriched polished and parboiled rice. In Consumer Reports’ tests, agitating rice in water or soaking it removed less than 8 percent, while a parboiling and absorption method cut inorganic arsenic by 50 percent in brown rice and 58 percent in white rice.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Independent testConsumer Reports found that in 42 percent of the rice products it tested, average inorganic arsenic levels were high enough that an adult eating one serving a day over time would have a significantly increased risk of skin cancer, bladder cancer and type 2 diabetes. Consumer Reports ↗
- Independent testIn Consumer Reports’ tests, brown varieties consistently had more inorganic arsenic than white within each rice type, with brown rice averaging 113 ppb and white rice 72 ppb. Consumer Reports ↗
- Independent testConsumer Reports found that agitating rice in water or soaking it removed less than 8 percent of the arsenic, while a parboiling and absorption method cut inorganic arsenic by 50 percent in brown rice and 58 percent in white rice. Consumer Reports ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA’s 2016 risk assessment estimated the lung and bladder cancer risk from lifetime exposure to rice and rice products at 39 cases per million people, a small portion of all cases of those cancers. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says cooking rice in 6 to 10 parts water and draining the excess can reduce inorganic arsenic by 40 to 60 percent, but also lowers the nutritional value of enriched polished and parboiled rice. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says that for adults, long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic has been associated with skin disorders, increased risks of skin, bladder and lung cancers, and cardiovascular disease. US FDA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.