Even a small grain of rice makes a mess: In the brown rice from Norma (Bio-Sonne), the testers from “Ökotest” found arsenic, mineral oil and spray poison in such high quantities that it would even have been enough for the overall rating “unsatisfactory” twice. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) even rated the analysis as posing such an acute health risk that Norma immediately removed the product from its range. There are a total of 21 rice brands in the rice test: seven times each of brown rice, risotto and basmati. Eleven products carry an organic seal. The inspectors paid between 1.09 euros and 4.79 euros for a pound of rice.
Another black sheep in the test is the “Natural Long Grain Top Rice” from Rapunzel. The laboratory commissioned by “Ökotest” measured a cadmium content that more than doubled the EU limit. “That’s crazy,” writes “Ökotest”. “Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that accumulates in the body and, when consumed in high doses over a long period of time, can lead to kidney and bone damage.”
Rapunzel took the results very seriously and also commissioned a laboratory that confirmed the analyzes from “Ökotest”. In this case too, the manufacturer immediately stopped sales and took back the affected rice. Overall, only two out of seven nature trips manage to stay below the limits for cadmium and arsenic.
One of the leading conventional rice brands, Oryza, also attracts negative attention. The Oryza Risotto Rice uses more than half of the new arsenic limit for milled white rice. This product also received an overall rating of “unsatisfactory”. So: Which rice can you still consume?
The good news: The many harmful substances are only found in a few products, others are perfect and also taste good. For example, the “K-Bio Long Grain Natural Rice” from Kaufland (1.25 per 500 grams), the “Golden Sun Organic Basmati Rice” from Lidl (1.79 euros) or Denree Risotto Rice (2.29 euros) from the health food store.
You can read the entire test here for a fee!
