A study conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) found that all samples of rice and rice-based products analyzed for the metal cadmium were safe for consumption. The study was conducted as part of routine testing of various food products.
For the study, CFIA tested a total of 280 food samples of domestic and imported origins. These included 56 rice grain samples and 224 rice-based products.
The 280 samples included 27 domestic products, 251 imported products and 2 products of unverifiable origin. Since rice is not grown in Canada, rice products listed as domestic were manufactured or processed in Canada using imported ingredients.
The 2010-2011 study results showed that 154 (55%) did not contain a detectable level of cadmium. However, the remaining 126 samples contained detectable cadmium levels ranging from 0.0054 to 0.0505 parts per million (ppm) in rice grains and 0.0026 to 0.2646 ppm in rice-based products.
CFIA noted that this result is not unexpected as cadmium occurs naturally in the environment, and as a by-product from industrial and agricultural sources. Rice is particularly susceptible to cadmium absorption due to its distinctive cultivation in flooded fields.
While Health Canada has not set standards for cadmium levels in Canada, the cadmium levels observed in this survey were well below the Codex Alimentarius Commission's established maximum level of 0.4 ppm of cadmium in rice. Survey results were shared with Health Canada, which determined there was no health risk to consumers. No recalls were required.
