A lot of people today are eating
organic foods to avoid ingesting harsh chemicals and pesticides
but a new study of some organic
foods found high levels of arsenic.
The study published by Environmental
Health Perspectives blames brown rice syrup, which is used as an alternative to
high fructose corn syrup.
It can be found in things like
organic baby formula, cereal bars, and energy shots.
So should you stop eating these
products? Purdue Extension Educator Mary
Ann Lienhart Cross said there's no need to worry if you have a balanced diet. "I don't think
you need to totally stay away from it but you shouldn't have a lot of it
everyday."
She cautions that the ingredient
will hurt anyone eating the same thing all day, like babies.
"For a baby they're
typically only getting formula so they're getting a lot of it," said Lienhart
Cross
Lienhart Cross adds research is
still being done but says for now when buying formula you may want to avoid any
that contain brown rice syrup. "It probably would be best for a mom or the families
peace of mind to try and stay away from brown rice syrup."
Anyone over the age of two is still
safe in eating one cereal bar a day. "Everything in moderation," said Lienhart Cross.
Maple City
Market in Goshen
sells organic products and their manager agrees the new study is no reason for
shoppers to panic. "One thing to keep in mind is
that arsenic does naturally occur in the soil," said Manager Jo Ellen Davis.
And there's no reason at all to
worry about plain brown rice. "It's the brown rice syrup that has the concentration
of the arsenic in it," said Lienhart Cross.
Cross says this is all just a
reminder to read labels so you don't get too much of anything.
Experts say there is currently no
standard for arsenic in foods and it's not tested for.
But there are some standards for
classifying organic foods. You just have
to read labels and packaging to know what you're getting. "It can be 100 percent organic and it will carry the
USDA organic seal, it can be 95 percent organic and it will carry the USDA
organic seal, and then it can be made with organic ingredients which means 70
percent of products in that package are organic," said Davis.
To be certified USDA organic the
ingredients must come from farms that have gone through five years of soil
tests. The tests look for chemicals and
pesticides.
For more information about the Environmental Health Perspectives Study click here
