How Does Arsenic Get in Rice? How to Reduce It

Pot of white rice boiling in excess water on the stovetop, a cooking method that reduces arsenic content

By The Calculated Cook

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Rice has been sitting quietly in pantries for centuries, minding its own business, and then the internet found out it contains arsenic and suddenly everyone's staring at their rice cooker like it's plotting something. Deep breath. Here's what's actually going on, and the one cooking trick that makes the biggest difference.

Why Rice Has Arsenic in the First Place

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in soil, water, and air, and it's also left over in some soils from decades of arsenic-based pesticide use. Most crops absorb small amounts of it from the ground they grow in. Rice absorbs more than most, for a simple reason tied to how it's farmed.

Rice is typically grown in flooded paddy fields. Those standing-water conditions create an environment where arsenic in the soil converts into a form that's easier for the rice plant to take up through its roots, which is why rice tends to contain more arsenic than other grains grown on dry land, like wheat or oats.

Where the rice is grown matters too. Testing has repeatedly found that rice grown in the southern United States, including Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, tends to run higher in arsenic, while rice grown in California, and rice imported from India, Pakistan, and Thailand (basmati and jasmine varieties), consistently tests lower.

Does Cooking Method Actually Reduce Arsenic?

Yes, and this is the part worth paying attention to. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has studied this directly, and the results are consistent: how you cook rice makes a measurable difference in how much inorganic arsenic ends up on your plate.

Cooking rice in excess water, then draining it, like pasta

This is the single most effective and most accessible method. Instead of using the standard absorption method (a fixed amount of water that the rice fully soaks up), you cook rice in a much larger volume of water, similar to how you'd boil pasta, then drain the extra water off before serving.

FDA research found that cooking rice this way, using roughly 6 to 10 parts water for every 1 part rice, reduces inorganic arsenic by 40 to 60 percent, depending on the type of rice. If you already use a water-ratio-based method for cooking rice, this is a small adjustment with a meaningful payoff. Our Rice Calculator can help you scale the right water-to-rice ratio for whatever amount you're cooking.

Parboiling

A second method, used traditionally in many rice-growing regions, involves briefly boiling rice in a large volume of water, draining that water off, then finishing the rice in a smaller amount of fresh water at a lower temperature until it's fully cooked. Some studies have found this method removes 54 to 73 percent of inorganic arsenic, making it the most effective option tested, though it takes a bit more effort than a straight swap to a pasta-style cook.

The trade-off worth knowing

Both of these methods also wash out some of the added nutrients in enriched rice, including iron, folate, thiamin, and niacin, with FDA research showing reductions of 50 to 70 percent in polished and parboiled white rice. Brown rice isn't enriched the same way, so it loses less on that front. If arsenic reduction is your priority, the trade-off is generally considered worthwhile, but it's fair to know it's happening.

Does Rinsing Rice Remove Arsenic?

This is where a lot of advice online gets it wrong, or at least oversimplifies it. Rinsing rice before cooking is often repeated as an arsenic-reduction tip, but the research is mixed and, on its own, rinsing is one of the weaker methods.

FDA testing found that rinsing rice before cooking has a minimal effect on the arsenic content of the finished, cooked grain. Other independent studies have found rinsing removes a modest amount, roughly 10 to 30 percent depending on the rice variety, but it's consistently less effective than cooking in excess water or parboiling. If you do rinse, a fine mesh strainer makes it easier.

The takeaway: rinsing isn't harmful, and it's a reasonable habit to keep, but it shouldn't be the method you rely on if reducing arsenic is the actual goal. The water-ratio cooking method does the heavier lifting.

White Rice vs. Brown Rice

Because arsenic tends to concentrate in the outer bran layer of the rice grain, and that layer is polished away to make white rice, brown rice generally contains meaningfully more arsenic than white rice from the same source. This doesn't mean brown rice is unsafe. It means the extra fiber and nutrients brown rice offers come with a modest arsenic trade-off, and it's one more reason variety and cooking method both matter if you're trying to reduce exposure specifically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does brown rice have more arsenic than white rice?

Yes. Arsenic concentrates in the outer bran layer of the rice grain, which is removed during processing to make white rice. Testing has consistently found brown rice contains meaningfully higher levels of inorganic arsenic than white rice from the same source.

Is brown rice healthier than white rice?

It depends on what you're weighing. Brown rice generally offers more fiber and micronutrients since it retains the bran and germ layers, but those same layers are where arsenic concentrates, so it also tends to carry more arsenic than white rice. It's a genuine trade-off rather than a clear winner in either direction.

What does arsenic do to the body?

Inorganic arsenic is classified as a human carcinogen. Research reviewed by the FDA has linked regular, long-term exposure to increased risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular effects, with particular concern for pregnant women and young children due to potential impacts on development.

Can eating rice give you arsenic poisoning?

No, typical rice consumption does not cause acute arsenic poisoning. The concern raised by FDA and independent researchers is chronic, low-level exposure over months and years, not a risk from any single meal or short-term period of eating rice.

Does rinsing rice remove arsenic?

Rinsing has a smaller effect than most people assume. FDA research found rinsing alone has a minimal effect on the arsenic content of cooked rice, while other studies found more modest reductions of roughly 10 to 30 percent depending on rice type. Cooking rice in excess water and draining it is a more effective method.

Which type of rice has the least arsenic?

Basmati rice grown in California, India, or Pakistan, along with U.S.-grown sushi rice, has consistently tested lowest in arsenic in FDA and Consumer Reports testing. Rice grown in the southern United States tends to test highest.