Inorganic arsenic in food poses health concerns, EFSA confirms

A recent risk assessment by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has confirmed the long-standing concerns regarding the health risks associated with exposure to inorganic arsenic through certain foods, such as rice, rice products, grains and grain-based products.    

The new risk assessment was requested by the European Commission, which asked EFSA to review and update its previous evaluation of arsenic in food, carried out in 2009. The focus of this new assessment was to identify relevant publications on human and animal toxicology published after 2009.    

Considering the biological differences between laboratory animals and humans, EFSA's Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) chose to rely exclusively on human epidemiological data to assess the hazards associated with inorganic arsenic.    

While arsenic can exist in different chemical forms, EFSA's assessment primarily focused on inorganic arsenic. Unfortunately, the presence of inorganic arsenic, whether from natural or human activities, is widespread, necessitating continued vigilance regarding this food contaminant.    

The risks associated with exposure to inorganic arsenic are predominantly long-term, with certain forms of cancer being a major concern. Skin cancer, in particular, has been identified as the most significant harmful effect associated with its exposure.    

EFSA utilized the Margin of Exposure (MOE) to assess the risk of exposure. The MOE is the ratio between the dose at which a small but measurable adverse effect occured, and the level of exposure to a substance for a given population. A low MOE indicates a higher risk. In the case of inorganic arsenic, a MOE value of 1 or less suggests an increased risk of skin cancer. The assessment revealed that adults have low MOE values, ranging between 2 and 0.4 for moderate consumers and between 0.9 and 0.2 for high consumers. According to EFSA, these findings raise significant health concerns.    

EFSA emphasizes that even low to moderate exposure to inorganic arsenic can lead to various health issues, including skin, bladder, and lung cancers, as well as miscarriages, stillbirths, infant mortality, congenital heart disease, neurodevelopmental effects, ischemic heart disease, respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, atherosclerosis, decreased birth weight, and skin lesions. The review confirms that inorganic arsenic is a carcinogenic and genotoxic agent, even at low doses.    

The main food sources identified by EFSA as carriers of inorganic arsenic include rice, rice-based products, grains and grain-based products. Although drinking water can also contribute to exposure, the levels of arsenic in European drinking water are generally low.    

Currently, EFSA is still evaluating the potential risks associated with exposure to organic arsenic in food. Once this assessment is complete, the focus will shift to assessing the risks of combined exposure to organic and inorganic arsenic in food in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation and promote further protective measures.      

 

Source:  

EFSA