Our results were not surprising, based on what we’ve seen in rice before, says Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led our testing. Consistent with our previous testing, there were differences in inorganic arsenic levels among rice types. Basmati and sushi rice had the lowest levels on average—55 and 57 ppb, respectively—compared with other types of rice, such as arborio (64 ppb), jasmine (87 ppb), long and short grain rice (101 ppb), and parboiled rice (101 ppb).
Within each rice type, brown varieties consistently had higher levels of inorganic arsenic than white varieties. Overall, brown rice averaged 113 ppb, and white rice averaged 72 ppb.
That’s a little lower than what we found in 2014—146 ppb for brown rice and 82 ppb for white, on average. However, looking at a broader set of data, any apparent decrease in inorganic arsenic is not significant enough to represent an overall market change, Akinleye says. “There’s no evidence that levels of arsenic are going down overall,” he says. “If further testing—whether by groups like CR or by manufacturers—consistently shows significant decreases in arsenic levels, that would be reassuring.”
However, we have yet to see those decreases. For example, in 2025, Healthy Babies Bright Futures tested 145 rice samples and found that brown rice averaged 129 ppb inorganic arsenic, and rice samples labeled just as “white rice” averaged 86 ppb. Sushi, Indian basmati, and Thai jasmine rice, along with rice grown in California, averaged lower levels in their testing.
The levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury we found were low overall, but one serving of a few products did test at or above our level of concern for lead, which is 0.5 microgram per day; these are noted in the chart. In particular, rice mixes—which contain rice and seasoning—had higher amounts of lead. Three of the six mixes we tested contained more than 0.5 microgram per serving. In those cases, however, the lead was concentrated in the spice portion of the products. Previous testing by CR has found sometimes significant levels of lead and other heavy metals in spices.
Based on our recommended weekly serving limits for each product, even the few samples with elevated lead should not contribute significantly to dietary exposure. But it’s worth exercising extra caution if you eat other foods known to contain higher levels of lead, like cassava, sweet potatoes, and dark chocolate.
