White basmati rice from California, India, or Pakistan consistently tests lowest for arsenic among common rice types. On average, it contains about half the inorganic arsenic of most other rice sold in the U.S. Sushi rice grown in California performs similarly well. Beyond choosing the right variety, where your rice was grown and how you cook it can cut arsenic levels even further.
The Lowest-Arsenic Rice Types
Consumer Reports testing found that white basmati rice from California, India, and Pakistan, along with U.S.-grown sushi rice, averaged roughly half the inorganic arsenic of other rice varieties. These consistently came out on top across multiple rounds of testing. Calrose rice from California also performed well.
Jasmine rice from Thailand is another lower-arsenic option, according to Cleveland Clinic. On the higher end, arborio rice (the short-grain variety used for risotto) from Italy tested elevated for arsenic and other heavy metals. White rice harvested in the southeastern United States also ranked among the worst performers.
Where Rice Is Grown Matters More Than You’d Think
The single biggest factor in arsenic content isn’t the variety of rice. It’s geography. A review of 5,800 rice samples from 25 countries found that U.S.-grown rice averaged about double the total arsenic of rice from Asia. That’s largely driven by rice from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and other southeastern states, where cotton fields were historically treated with arsenic-based pesticides that still linger in the soil.
California rice is the exception. It tests comparable to rice grown elsewhere in the world, likely because the state’s rice-growing regions don’t share that same contaminated-soil history. Nearly all rice samples imported from India or Pakistan in one New York-based study had arsenic levels lower than 95% of domestically produced rice. So if you’re buying U.S. rice, look for California on the label. If you’re buying imported rice, Indian and Pakistani basmati is a strong choice.
Why Brown Rice Is Higher in Arsenic
Brown rice contains about 80% more inorganic arsenic than white rice of the same type. That’s a significant difference, and it comes down to anatomy. Arsenic concentrates in the outer bran layer of the grain, which is stripped away during polishing to make white rice. Brown rice keeps that bran intact for its fiber and nutrient benefits, but the tradeoff is a substantially higher arsenic load.
This doesn’t mean you need to avoid brown rice entirely. But if arsenic is your primary concern, white rice is the better pick. If you prefer brown rice, choosing one from a low-arsenic region (California, India, or Pakistan) and using a high-water cooking method can bring levels down considerably.
Cooking Methods That Reduce Arsenic
How you cook rice can remove a meaningful portion of the arsenic it contains. The most effective home technique is cooking rice like pasta: boil it in 6 to 10 parts water per 1 part rice, then drain the excess water. FDA research shows this removes 40% to 60% of inorganic arsenic, depending on the type. The downside is that it also washes away some added nutrients in enriched white rice.
A more refined approach called “parboiling with absorption” (PBA) aims to get the best of both worlds. You boil the rice briefly in a large volume of water, discard that water, then finish cooking with fresh water at a lower ratio so the rice absorbs it all. In lab testing, this method removed 73% of inorganic arsenic from white rice and 54% from brown rice, with minimal loss of zinc and only modest reductions in other minerals like phosphorus and potassium. Brown rice actually retained more nutrients through this process than white rice did.
Even a simple rinse before cooking helps. Running water over your rice until it runs clear won’t match the pasta method, but it’s better than cooking unwashed rice in a minimal amount of water, which keeps everything the grain releases.
Why Rice Absorbs So Much Arsenic
Rice accumulates arsenic at far higher rates than other grains because it grows in flooded paddies. Standing water creates oxygen-free soil conditions that convert arsenic into a form plants absorb more easily. Rice also has root pathways designed to take up silicon, a nutrient it needs in large quantities, and arsenic mimics silicon’s chemical shape closely enough to hitch a ride through those same channels. Other grains grown in dry soil simply don’t face either of these problems.
Lower-Arsenic Grain Alternatives
If you eat rice frequently and want to rotate in some lower-arsenic grains, most alternatives contain dramatically less. Testing of gluten-free grains found average arsenic levels (in micrograms per kilogram) of about 3.6 for corn-based products, 6.2 for millet, 8.5 for buckwheat, 8.4 for quinoa, and 10.2 for oats. For comparison, rice commonly tests between 100 and 300 in the same units. That’s roughly 10 to 30 times higher than any of these alternatives.
Swapping in quinoa, millet, or corn-based grains for a few meals per week is one of the simplest ways to lower your overall arsenic intake without giving up rice entirely.
A Quick Buying Guide
- Best choices: White basmati from India, Pakistan, or California. Sushi rice or Calrose rice from California. Jasmine rice from Thailand.
- Moderate choices: Any white rice from California. Brown basmati from India or Pakistan (higher than white, but lower than U.S. brown rice).
- Higher-arsenic choices: Any rice from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, or other southeastern U.S. states. Brown rice from those same regions. Arborio rice from Italy.
The FDA has set an action level of 100 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal, which gives some sense of the threshold regulators consider worth limiting. For adults, no formal limit exists for regular rice, but choosing low-arsenic varieties and cooking with excess water can cut your exposure by more than half compared to eating high-arsenic rice prepared the standard way.