Arsenic in Food — FDA Total Diet Study
How much arsenic the US FDA measured in everyday foods, food by food.
Good to know
Arsenic concentrations (µg/kg = ppb) in foods from the FDA Total Diet Study FY2018–FY2022. Total arsenic covers 308 foods and includes both organic and inorganic forms. Inorganic arsenic (the toxic form, an IARC Group 1 carcinogen) was measured in 10 rice-based foods — the primary plant dietary concern. Select below to toggle views.
Reduce rice arsenic on a plant based diet
Rotate rice with other low-arsenic grains like oats, quinoa, millet, and barley. When cooking rice, use excess water (6:1 ratio) and drain — this removes up to 50% of inorganic arsenic. Choose basmati or jasmine rice from India or Thailand over US-grown rice where possible. See also lead in food and cadmium in food.
Questions
What is the FDA action level for inorganic arsenic?
The FDA set 100 ppb as the action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal (2020, Closer to Zero initiative). For adult rice products and other foods, no specific action level exists — risk management relies on dietary diversity recommendations rather than a single threshold.
What is the FDA Total Diet Study?
The FDA's Total Diet Study is an annual market-basket monitoring program collecting ~300 representative US foods from supermarkets four times per year and measuring contaminants as foods are prepared for eating. Running since 1961, it is the world's longest-running dietary contaminant monitoring program. This data covers FY2018–FY2022 using the hybrid-bound method.
What is the difference between total arsenic and inorganic arsenic?
Total arsenic includes all chemical forms — organic forms like arsenobetaine (found in seafood, rapidly excreted, not toxic) and inorganic forms (arsenite and arsenate, the toxic carcinogens). The toxic risk comes specifically from inorganic arsenic. Seafood appears highest in total arsenic rankings, but this is largely non-toxic organic arsenic. Rice is the main concern for inorganic arsenic in plant based diets.
Does cooking reduce arsenic in rice?
Yes — cooking rice in 6–10 times its volume of water, then draining (pasta-style), removes up to 50% of inorganic arsenic compared to absorption cooking. Pre-soaking rice overnight and rinsing thoroughly before cooking also helps. The FDA TDS measured rice as prepared for eating, so these concentrations already reflect standard cooking methods without the excess-water technique.
Are plant based milk alternatives high in arsenic?
Rice milk is the only plant based milk with elevated inorganic arsenic. Oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk have very low arsenic levels. The FDA recommends that parents not rely on rice milk as the sole milk alternative for infants and toddlers — alternating with other plant based milks is advised.
Is brown rice or white rice better for arsenic?
White rice contains less inorganic arsenic than brown rice because the bran layer — where arsenic concentrates — is removed during milling. However, brown rice has more fiber, B vitamins, and minerals. The solution is variety: rotate brown and white rice with other grains, and use excess-water cooking to reduce arsenic in either type.