Nearly half of the 18 rice samples tested in domestic markets of Guangzhou, China, were found to contain high levels of cadmium, according to the Guangzhou Food and Drug Administration.
The research indicated that the Guangzhou's staple food, rice, was contaminated with cadmium, a carcinogenic metal that could cause cancer and other illnesses.
According to the authorities of Guangzhou, the contaminated rice samples were found to contain 0.21mg to 0.4mg of cadmium in a kilogram of rice. However, the Chinese government permits a maximum 0.2mg of cadmium in each kilogram of rice.
The rice was primarily imported from nearby Hunan province traditionally known as the 'land of fish and rice'.
All of the affected rice was produced at small-scale mills composed of smaller operations, making it difficult to regulate standards.
Guangzhou authorities stated that the size of the was small and it is not necessarily representative of all rice being sold in the region.
Initially, the authorities declined to disclose the names of the rice firms involved, which include Daban Rice Factory, Xiasheng Rice Factory, Rixing Rice Mill and Dongyang Rice Mill.
The government noted that it had prohibited the use of rice, adopted control measures and will continue with the surveillance and random sampling of rice being marketed in Guangzhou.
