WHO and FAO update arsenic assessment: what rice cooks should know

The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization have published a new scientific assessment of arsenic in food. The JECFA monograph, released on 24 July 2026, updates earlier work on inorganic arsenic and several organic arsenic compounds, while reviewing exposure data, laboratory methods, food processing and prevention measures.

This is not a product recall or a warning that ordinary rice is unsafe to eat. It is a technical publication for regulators and scientists. Its relevance to home kitchens is more practical: arsenic exposure depends on the food, the water used to grow and cook it, local conditions and the overall diet. Rice deserves attention because it can take up arsenic from soil and irrigation water, but the WHO’s consumer background on arsenic also identifies contaminated drinking and cooking water as major exposure routes.

What the new assessment changes

The monograph was prepared after a request from the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods. It brings together toxicological studies, human observations, analytical methods, contamination patterns in food commodities, dietary exposure estimates and the effects of processing. That makes it an evidence update, not a new cooking rule with a single instruction for every household.

The distinction between inorganic and organic arsenic matters. The WHO describes inorganic arsenic as the more toxic form, while arsenic in seafood is mainly present in less harmful organic forms. The risk therefore cannot be judged by looking at a food category alone. Location, water quality, growing conditions and the specific arsenic species all affect the assessment.

Why rice preparation is part of the conversation

Rice absorbs water as it cooks, so the water in the pan can influence what ends up on the plate. The WHO and UNICEF arsenic primer explains that cooking with low-arsenic water and discarding excess water can reduce arsenic in rice in some settings. It also warns that contaminated cooking water can increase exposure instead.

That leads to a simple safety priority: use water that is safe for drinking and cooking. If your local authority has identified arsenic in a private well or public supply, follow its advice about testing, treatment and alternative water. Do not assume that boiling alone makes arsenic-contaminated water safe; microbial safety and chemical safety are separate questions.

A practical rice method, with limits

Start with safe water. Use a verified low-arsenic source for rinsing, soaking and cooking. If you do not know the status of a private well, contact the relevant water or public-health authority before using it for food.
Rinse the rice. Wash it in clean water and drain it. This is a preparation step, not a guarantee that all arsenic has been removed.
Cook with excess water when exposure reduction is the priority. Use more water than the rice will absorb, then drain the excess once the grains are tender. The method uses more water and may affect some water-soluble nutrients, so it should be understood as a risk-reduction option for relevant settings, not a universal requirement.
Do not reuse the discarded water. If arsenic has moved from the rice into the cooking water, drinking or reusing that liquid defeats the purpose of draining it.

Cooking advice cannot replace action on the water supply or food controls. It also cannot turn a contaminated product into a confirmed safe product by taste, smell or appearance. The new JECFA publication is about measuring and managing exposure across the food system, not about asking consumers to diagnose contamination in their kitchens.

Variety is a useful household safeguard

Rice can be part of a balanced diet, but relying heavily on one staple can increase exposure when that staple is grown or prepared in a high-risk environment. An earlier FAO food-safety explainer on rice highlighted the value of dietary variety alongside careful preparation. Where practical and affordable, rotate rice with other grains, potatoes, legumes or pasta, and include vegetables and other foods that suit your household’s needs.

This is not a case for panic buying, blanket avoidance or guessing which packet is safest from the label alone. Food-safety controls, water testing and public-health guidance do more than a kitchen inspection can. For most readers, the useful response is to keep using safe water, prepare rice thoughtfully, avoid treating cooking as a chemical decontamination guarantee and vary the staples served across the week.

The new assessment gives regulators a stronger scientific base for those decisions. For home cooks, its message is narrower but clear: arsenic risk is shaped before the pan reaches the hob, and the best practical steps begin with safe water and sensible food variety.