THE’arsenic in rice It is one of those concerns that cyclically returns to knock on the Italian consumers gate. And apparently, the problem is far from solved. A new investigation conducted by the magazine The life jacket, Back to turn on the spotlight on the matter, confirming that we still have to deal with this contaminant.
The life jacket has analyzed 12 Arborio rice brands, The favorite variety for risotto, and what it has found is not very comforting. Heavy metals and defects in the beans are still present on our tables but it is the inorganic arsenic that is the most widespread problem.
But why worry about the Arsenico so much? Let’s not forget that we are talking about A substance classified by the WHO IARC as a carcinogenic for the man. In short, not exactly something we would like to find in our risotto.
The results
Among the samples analyzed, some in particular showed significant critical issues.
Carosio rice sold by Lidl recorded the highest value of inorganic arseniceven exceeding the legal limit set at 0.15 mg/kg. With a value of 0.171 mg/kg, this product is located in a decidedly problematic area, even if the company defends itself by claiming that, considering the margin of analytical error, their rice could still be compliant.
But it’s not just arsenic that worries. The test also highlighted the presence of cadmiumanother heavy metal classified as carcinogen, than in the sample of Biological Vignola rice It has exceeded, albeit slightly, the allowed limit. Here too, the company appeals to the margin of error to support the compliance of the product.
And what about rice Gallo reserve? In this case the problem does not concern heavy metals but the quality: the sample analyzed contained too many beans of other varieties (6.84% against the 5% limit). A defect that does not represent a risk for health but that can compromise the success of risotto.
The test also highlighted other problems. In the sample of Curtisofor example, was detected A percentage of grains damaged by heat which reaches the maximum permitted limit (0.05%). This type of defect could indicate conservation problems in silos and, in the worst cases, to encourage the development of mycotoxins, even if in this specific case subsequent analyzes have excluded this possibility.
On the front of pesticidesthe situation appears less worrying, even if Captan, a potentially carcinogenic fungicide according to the American EPA, has been found in different samples, sometimes in non -negligible concentrations.
Among many unrequisitioning news, there are also some positive aspects. The test confirmed that all the products analyzed actually contain Arborio rice, and not declared parboiled beans have been found. In addition, several brands have obtained positive assessments (to discover the best, refer to the latest issue of Life jacket), a sign that good quality products can be found on the market.
The life jacket It is keen to clarify that you are not a control body, but a newspaper that wants to photograph the reality of the products that we find on the shelves. The goal is clear: to make us more aware consumers.
And awareness, in this case, means understanding that bringing to the table risi with arsenic or cadmium values too close to the limits of the law may not be the best choice for our health, especially if we consume rice regularly.
Italy is the first rice manufacturer in Europe, with about 1.5 million tons per year. Perhaps the time has come to focus not only on the quantity and aesthetics of the beans, but also on a more substantial quality, which puts the safety of what we eat first.
Where the arsenic comes from
But how is it possible that rice contains arsenic? Experts consulted by the magazine explain that contamination is linked to both the morphology of the land and to environmental pollution. The rice plant, by its nature, easily absorbs this heavy metal through the roots, concentrating it in the beans.
As for the cadmium, its presence is often linked to the use of fertilizers. Curious that it was found in a organic product, demonstrating that even organic crops are unfortunately not immune to environmental contaminations.
The replica of companies
As predictable, the companies involved are not going to pass through “bad”. Lidl, for example, provided the results of counter -analysis that indicate much lower arsenic values (0.11 and 0.12 mg/kg) than those found by the life preserver.
Vignola rice, for its part, underlines that by applying the criteria of the European regulation, their product can be considered compliant. Finally, Curtiso disputes the result on grains damaged by heat, claiming that internal analyzes have detected much lower values.
