According to the European institution, consumers' exposure to inorganic arsenic in food raises a health issue, according to the conclusions of the most recent risk assessment conducted by EFSA for this contaminant.

The finding confirms the result of EFSA's previous risk assessment regarding the presence of inorganic arsenic in food from 2009.

The European Commission requested EFSA to update its assessment of inorganic arsenic to consider new studies on its toxic effects. EFSA consulted external stakeholders regarding its draft opinion and took into account the numerous comments received before finalizing it.

Which foods contain inorganic arsenic

Arsenic is a widespread contaminant, present both naturally and as a result of human activity. Arsenic appears in various forms depending on its chemical structure. EFSA's current opinion focuses on inorganic arsenic.

Diet is the main source of exposure to inorganic arsenic for the general population in Europe.

The main factors contributing to dietary exposure are rice, rice-based products, cereals, and cereal-based products. Drinking water also contributes to exposure, although levels are usually low in Europe.

Health risks

Long-term intake of inorganic arsenic has been associated with several adverse health effects, including certain forms of cancer.

For its evaluation, EFSA considered the increased incidence of skin cancers associated with exposure to inorganic arsenic as the most relevant adverse effect. Experts concluded that ensuring protection against skin cancer would also be protective against other potentially harmful effects.

When assessing genotoxic and carcinogenic substances that are unintentionally present in the food chain, EFSA calculates a margin of exposure (MOE) for consumers.

MOE is a ratio between two factors: the dose at which a small but measurable adverse effect is observed and the level of exposure to a substance for a given population. A low MOE represents a higher risk than a higher MOE.

Based on available data from human studies, an MOE of 1 or less would correspond to a level of exposure to inorganic arsenic that could be associated with an increased risk of skin cancer.

In adults, MOEs are low - ranging between 2 and 0.4 for average consumers and between 0.9 and 0.2 for high consumers. Experts concluded that this raises a health issue.

Next steps

EFSA also evaluates potential risks related to exposure to organic arsenic in food. Once this risk assessment is completed, possible risks of combined exposure to organic and inorganic arsenic in food will be assessed.