Experts are investigating how much rice eaten in Britain is
affected by the toxic chemical. Researchers at Aberdeen
University said the affected rice is grown in the southern-
central states of the US. They say it has increased
concentrations of arsenic, compared with samples of the crop
from other parts of the world. Those who eat rice containing
high levels of the substance face a greater risk of bladder and
lung cancer, the researchers added. Britain’s Food Standards
Agency said a study is looking at the amount of arsenic in rice
eaten in the UK and how it might be affected by cooking. But it
urged British consumers not to panic. Researchers analysed 107
samples of long grain rice from the south central region of the
US, including Arkan-sas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,
Missouri and Texas. Professor Andy Meharg of Aberdeen University
said they found three to five times more arsenic in that region
than was found in other rice producing countries, such as India
and China. “We know if you are exposed to ev