Dive Brief:
- FDA is proposing a maximum allowable "action level" of inorganic arsenic in rice cereals for infants and toddlers of 100 parts per billion.
- The agency is also calling for a 90-day comment period to solicit comments from the industry and consumers regarding the draft guidance.
- FDA said manufacturers should be able to abide by any limitations on inorganic arsenic via sound manufacturing practices, such as finding rice sources that have low levels of the substance.
Dive Insight:
Out of the infant rice cereals the FDA sampled from retail stores in 2014, nearly half (47%) are already in compliance with the proposed maximum level for inorganic arsenic. That includes Gerber, the U.S. leader in infant rice cereal production.
However, the push for reduction in inorganic arsenic may not stop at infant and toddler rice cereals. This segment is a natural place to start because infants consume about three times the amount of rice that adults do on the basis of body weight. Even if the level is low per individual serving, infants tend to consume more servings than adults, which is why the FDA has chosen to focus on these products.
But consumer health groups may push to extend these limitations to encompass rice products in general, including those targeted at adults. This could impact rice-based cereals, snacks, drinks, and other products produced by a wide range of manufacturers and consumed by a much larger demographic.