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What Rice Has the Least Arsenic?

📅 Updated February 2026⏱️ 5 min readNEW

TL;DR

White Basmati rice from California, India, or Pakistan consistently tests with the lowest arsenic levels. Brown rice generally contains 80% more arsenic than white rice because the toxin accumulates in the bran. For the safest option, buy Lundberg Family Farms white rice or imported Jasmine, and always cook your rice in excess water like pasta.

🔑 Key Findings

1

White Basmati is the safest variety, averaging half the arsenic of other types (~60 ppb vs. 100+ ppb).

2

Brown rice has more arsenic (often 80% more) because arsenic binds to the outer bran layer.

3

California is cleaner than the South. Rice from Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana often grows in soil contaminated by old cotton pesticides.

4

The Pasta Method works. Cooking rice in 6-10 parts water and draining it reduces arsenic by 40-60%.