The rice we bring to the table is not always synonymous with quality. Out of 12 packs of rice Arborio made in the laboratory by The life jacketcritical issues that cannot be ignored have emerged: presence of heavy metalsdefects in chicchi and pesticide residues.
The main problem? THE’inorganic arsenica substance classified as carcinogenic by WHO and resulting in high concentrations in almost all the samples analyzed, with a worrying peak in rice Carous from the Lidlwhich exceeded the legal limits. But that’s not all: even the cadmiumanother heavy carcinogenic metal linked to the use of fertilizers, was detected – with a value beyond threshold in Bio Vignola rice.
While returning (for a whisker) in the margins of error allowed, these are far from reassuring levels for a large consumer product. But let’s go in order.
Broken beans, mixed varieties and visible defects
In addition to the contaminants, the test carried out by Il Salvanto also highlighted problems of product quality. Italian law sets precise limits for visual defects such as broken beansbeans of other varieties and those damaged by heat (possible fungal alterations indicators).
In the Gallo ricefor example, the presence of different varieties grains touched 6.84% – well beyond the limit of 5%. In the lot Curtiso0.05% of boats damaged by heat represents the maximum tolerated by the legislation. Fortunately, further analyzes excluded the presence of mycotoxins.
Pesticides: few but not harmless
On the pesticides front, the contamination is not extended, but there is an exception: the capan, a fungicide detected in many champions and, in some cases, with significant concentrations.
But there are not only shadows: All the samples analyzed actually contained Riso Arborio – The best variety for risotto – and no product contained Parboiled chicchi.
How the judgments were assigned
The final votes took into account the presence of heavy metals (arsenic and cadmium), pesticides and defects in the beans. The samples with next or higher values to the legal limits were penalized with judgments such as Mediocre or Rare.
Limits of the law considered:
