New research has found that the common organic and gluten-free sweetener brown rice syrup is also a producer of arsenic. According to researchers, those who use brown rice syrup regularly could ingest more arsenic than is legally allowed in drinking water.
"We need to elevate the discussion about whether we do need regulations and guidelines for arsenic in food," says researcher Brian P. Jackson of Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. "And rice-based foods would be the first foods we should look at, I think."
Other brown rice products have also been found to contain arsenic, including baby formula's made of brown rice. Researcher Ana Navas-Acien of the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says that until there is more data on the safety of these products she will avoid them:
"This seems to be quite strong evidence. I would personally not buy formula made of brown rice," she tells WebMD.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.