A study has found dangerously high levels of arsenic in three quarters of baby rice sold in UK’s major supermarkets.
The branded food, sold in major UK supermarkets, was found to breach maximum EU limits.
Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast found illegally high levels of arsenic in 73% of rice-based products o sale for babies and young children.
Lead researcher Professor Meharg said: “It shows babies are exposed to illegal levels of arsenic despite the EU regulation to specifically address this health challenge.
“Babies are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of arsenic that can prevent the healthy development of a baby’s growth, IQ and immune system to name but a few.”
The study, published in the journal PLOS One, looked at 73 rice-based infant products.
Consuming too much arsenic can trigger a range of health problems including developmental issues, heart disease, diabetes and nervous system damage. It can also raise the risk of several cancers.
Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment. Rice is said to contain ten times more than other foods, as it tends to absorb the chemical more than other cereal crops.
Babies are particularly vulnerable to over-exposure as they eat larger quantities of food than adults in comparison to their size with many being weaned on rice-based products.
The EU last year imposed maximum limits of arsenic to protect public health.
Queen’s University Belfast researchers looked at foods before and after the regulations were passed and found that very little had actually changed.
Experts also compared levels of arsenic in urine samples among 79 infants who were breast-fed or formula-fed.
Bottle-fed tots had higher concentrations, particularly in dairy intolerant children given rice-fortified formulas.
However, the biggest exposure was during weaning with popular products such as baby rice and rice-cakes.
Professor Meharg said: “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.”
Experts previously found consumers can slash the levels of arsenic in rice by simply putting more water in the pan or even steeping it overnight.
