Common method of cooking rice can leave traces of arsenic in food

Millions of people are put ting themselves at risk by cooking rice incorrectly , scientists have warned.

Recent experiments showed that the common method of cooking rice -boiling it in a pan until the water has steamed out -could expose those who eat it to traces of the poison arsenic, which contaminates rice while it grows as a result of industrial toxins and pesticides.

The chemical has been linked to health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as development problems.While it is generally believed traces of arsenic are expelled when rice is cooked, it has now been claimed this only takes place when the rice is soaked overnight.

Andy Meharg, professor of biological sciences at Queens University Belfast, tested three ways of cooking rice to see whether it altered the levels of arsenic.In the first method, Meharg used a ratio of two parts water to one part rice, where the water was “steamed out“ during cooking.He found this left most of the arsenic present.

By contrast, when he used five parts water to one part rice and washed excess water off, levels of arsenic were almost halved. In the third method, in which the rice was soaked overnight, levels of the toxin were reduced by 80%.

The safest method of cooking rice is therefore to soak it overnight, then wash and rinse it until the water is clear, before draining it well and boiling in a saucepan, with a ratio of five parts water to one part rice. According to research, around 58% of rice-based products in the UK contain high levels of arsenic.