Is Arsenic in Food? Where It Comes From and How to Lower Your Exposure

Yes, small amounts of arsenic are found in some foods, because it occurs naturally in soil and water and plants take it up as they grow. The FDA monitors it closely, especially in rice, rice products, juice and foods for babies, and has set action levels for infant rice cereal and apple juice.

The form that matters most is inorganic arsenic, which the FDA says is more dangerous than organic arsenic. You can’t avoid it completely, but a varied diet and a few cooking habits lower your exposure. For more on everyday chemical exposures, see our living with allergies guides.

Jump to: Quick answer · What arsenic is · Which foods · FDA limits · Health risks · How to reduce it · FAQ

Quick answer

• How it gets in: arsenic in soil and water is taken up by plants and animals, and can enter food during processing if contaminated water is used.
• Foods the FDA watches most: rice and rice products, apple and pear juice, and infant rice cereal and other baby foods.
• FDA action levels: 100 parts per billion (ppb) inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal (2020) and 10 ppb in apple juice (2023).
• Biggest source of high exposure: contaminated drinking water, such as untested private wells.
• Easy steps: eat a varied diet, cook rice in extra water and drain it, offer babies a mix of cereals, and test well water.

What is arsenic?

Arsenic is a natural element found in rocks, soil and water. It comes in two broad forms:

• Inorganic arsenic, which the FDA says current research shows is more dangerous.
• Organic arsenic, which is generally less of a concern, although the FDA notes two organic forms (DMA and MMA) may also be a health concern and are being studied.

Arsenic in the environment can be taken up by plants and eaten by animals, which is how it enters the food supply. It can also get into food during processing, for example when contaminated water is added.

Which foods contain arsenic?

The FDA tests and publishes results for the foods where arsenic matters most:

FDA limits on arsenic in food

The FDA uses “action levels”: amounts above which it may take enforcement action. They are guidance for industry, not binding rules.

• Infant rice cereal: 100 ppb of inorganic arsenic, final guidance issued in August 2020.
• Apple juice: 10 ppb of inorganic arsenic, final guidance issued in June 2023. The FDA says this level can be met with good manufacturing practices.
• Drinking water: the federal limit for public drinking water is 10 ppb.

The FDA’s Closer to Zero program also works to reduce arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium in foods eaten by babies and young children.

Health risks of arsenic

The FDA says that for adults, long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic has been linked to skin disorders, higher risks of skin, bladder and lung cancer, and heart disease. Exposure to high levels while the brain is developing is linked to learning disabilities, behavior problems and lower IQ, which is why the FDA focuses on foods for babies and young children.

These risks are tied to long-term exposure, so the goal is to keep your overall exposure low over time rather than to cut out any single food.

How to lower your exposure

The FDA’s advice in What you can do to limit exposure to arsenic:

1. Eat a variety of foods. A varied, age-appropriate diet supports good nutrition and may reduce exposure to contaminants from any one food.
2. Cook rice like pasta. Using 6 to 10 parts water to 1 part rice and draining the extra water reduces inorganic arsenic by 40% to 60%, depending on the rice. The trade-off: it also cuts the added nutrients (folate, iron, niacin and thiamine) in enriched white and parboiled rice by 50% to 70%.
3. Don’t count on rinsing. Rinsing rice before cooking has only a minimal effect on arsenic and washes off added nutrients in enriched rice.
4. Mix up baby cereals. Iron-fortified rice cereal is nutritious but shouldn’t be the only source; iron-fortified oat, barley and multigrain cereals are good options too.
5. Skip juice for babies. Citing the Dietary Guidelines, the FDA says infants under 1 year should not drink juice.
6. Test your well. If your water comes from a private well, test it in spring or early summer.

If you or your child has food allergies and rice is a main grain, a dietitian can help you add variety; see our guide to eating well with allergies. For other household chemicals, read about phthalates in plastics, triclosan and chemicals in crib mattresses.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.

Frequently asked questions

Which foods have the most arsenic?

Rice and rice-based products are the foods the FDA monitors most closely, along with infant rice cereal, apple and pear juice, and baby foods. Contaminated well water is the most common source of high exposure.

Is organic food free of arsenic?

No. Arsenic comes from soil and water, so it can be in organic and conventional crops alike. Cooking methods and a varied diet matter more than the label.

Does rinsing rice remove arsenic?

Not much. The FDA says rinsing has a minimal effect. Cooking rice in plenty of water (6 to 10 parts water to 1 part rice) and draining it removes 40% to 60%.

Is rice cereal safe for babies?

The FDA says iron-fortified rice cereal is nutritious but shouldn’t be the only cereal. Rotate with iron-fortified oat, barley and multigrain cereals. The FDA set a 100 ppb action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal.

How much arsenic is allowed in apple juice?

The FDA’s action level is 10 ppb of inorganic arsenic, set in final guidance in June 2023.

Sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Arsenic in food. Current as of March 5, 2024.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What you can do to limit exposure to arsenic. Current as of April 27, 2022.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA issues final guidance on action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA issues final guidance on action level for inorganic arsenic in apple juice.

Last reviewed: October 21, 2026.