EFSA Refreshes Metals Overview as WHO Publishes New Arsenic Food Assessment

Two international food-safety updates published in July 2026 are putting chemical contaminants back into focus. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has refreshed its overview of metals in food, while the World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new assessment of arsenic prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

Neither update is a recall or a warning about a particular brand, batch or recipe. Both are scientific resources intended to help regulators assess exposure and decide whether additional controls are needed. For home cooks, the useful message is more measured: arsenic can enter food through the environment, water and production systems, but the new publications do not support treating every food containing a trace amount of a metal as unsafe.

What the July updates cover

EFSA’s updated metals overview, last reviewed on 21 July, explains that arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury can occur naturally in soil, water and the atmosphere. They may also enter the food chain through farming, industrial activity, food processing or storage. People can be exposed by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water, and long-term accumulation can cause harm.

The page also notes that EFSA is carrying out a risk-benefit assessment of fish consumption. That work considers the nutritional benefits of fish alongside possible exposure to contaminants including inorganic mercury, methylmercury, inorganic arsenic and dimethylarsinic acid. EFSA expects this assessment to be completed by the end of 2027, following a request from the European Commission.

On 24 July, WHO released the JECFA monograph on the safety evaluation of certain contaminants in food. The 454-page publication updates earlier assessments of arsenic and reviews inorganic arsenic alongside a range of organoarsenic species. It brings together toxicological evidence, human observations, analytical methods, food and water contamination patterns, dietary exposure estimates and the effects of processing.

Why arsenic is relevant in the kitchen

Arsenic is not a single substance with one uniform behaviour. The chemical form matters, and the new JECFA assessment distinguishes inorganic arsenic from organic species. The report also considers how arsenic moves through food systems, including transfer from animal feed, contamination of commodities and exposure through drinking-water.

Rice and other foods that absorb substantial amounts of water during cooking deserve particular attention in areas where the water supply is affected by arsenic. The important household principle is therefore simple: cooking does not automatically make contaminated water safe. If a local water authority issues an advisory about arsenic or another chemical contaminant, use the alternative water source specified for drinking and food preparation.

That advice should not be confused with a universal instruction to stop eating rice, fish or other staple foods. Exposure depends on the contaminant, its chemical form, the concentration, the amount eaten, the water used and the wider diet. A single food label or a single cooking method cannot answer all of those questions.

Four practical checks for home cooks

Use water that is approved for cooking. Treat drinking-water advice as cooking advice too. If your local authority recommends bottled, filtered or treated water because of a chemical contamination event, follow that instruction for rinsing, boiling, soups, coffee and infant foods.
Do not rely on a “detox” cooking trick. Rinsing, soaking or boiling can affect contaminants differently, and the result depends on the food and the water. A method that may reduce exposure under one set of conditions cannot be assumed to work everywhere.
Keep the diet varied. Variety reduces reliance on one food as a repeated source of exposure and remains a sound everyday approach while authorities continue updating risk assessments. This is especially relevant for households that eat large amounts of one staple every day.
Follow current local advice for fish. EFSA’s assessment of the benefits and risks of fish consumption is still in progress. Until national authorities publish updated recommendations, use the advice that applies where you live rather than changing your diet because of a headline about arsenic.

What the new science does not say

The WHO publication does not identify a contaminated supermarket product, set a new consumer recall, or test cookware in domestic kitchens. EFSA’s updated page likewise describes the wider scientific and regulatory picture; it is not a result from testing the rice, bottled water or fish in your cupboard.

It also would be misleading to turn the update into a claim that one type of rice, one pan or one preparation method is automatically safe or unsafe everywhere. Chemical exposure is shaped by local conditions, especially water quality and production practices. That is why the new JECFA work is designed to support risk managers and international standards rather than replace national food-safety advice.

For shoppers, the most reliable response is to look for advice from a competent food-safety or water authority, pay attention to product alerts, and avoid making broad decisions from social-media claims. For cooks, the practical safeguard is equally clear: use safe water, respect official advisories and keep food choices varied.

The bottom line

July’s EFSA and WHO updates strengthen the scientific basis for managing metals in food, with arsenic receiving particular attention. They are important because they improve how authorities understand exposure and decide on future controls. They are not a reason for panic or for discarding ordinary foods without a specific official warning. The sensible kitchen response is informed and local: check the water, follow current fish guidance, and treat the new science as context for safer food decisions rather than as a blanket ban.