Written question asked by Lord Bradley (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Monday, 27 February 2012.

Food: Arsenic

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to introduce new regulations regarding the arsenic level in rice in the United Kingdom.

Answer: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority have been collecting data on the occurrence of arsenic in rice to enable discussions for a European Union maximum limit for arsenic (mostly likely for the inorganic chemical form) in rice and possibly for other products such as algae (seaweeds). No EU maximum limit has yet been formally proposed but discussions are expected to start in the first half of this year. Any agreed EU maximum limit would apply directly in the United Kingdom via an amendment to Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 on contaminants in food. In addition, a draft Codex Alimentarius Commission proposal for an international standard on acceptable levels of arsenic in rice is expected to be discussed at the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food in March 2012. However, it is likely to be some time until any international standard is agreed. The UK is taking full part in both the Codex and EU discussions and the FSA will consult relevant stakeholders on any forthcoming proposals.

Secondary information