ABSTRACT
Elevated concentrations of arsenic (As) have been reported in rice-based diets from many countries and the level of concentration is above the international guideline. Total and inorganic As in rice-based diets collected from Australian supermarkets were studied to investigate the contamination levels and how consumption of these products poses potential health risks to young children and adults. About 52.5% of the samples exceeded the European Union (EU) recommended value (100 µg/kg) of As for young children and 22% samples had higher than maximum levels of 200 µg/kg recommended for adults. These also contributes a significant amount of other heavy metals as well. Therefore, the risk cannot be excluded from these rice-based products and the manufacturer's recommended serving could deliver a significant level of inorganic As into different age group of baby, children and or even adults.
