"Consumer Reports is urging U.S. limits for arsenic in rice after tests of more than 60 popular products -- from Kellogg's Rice Krispies to Gerber infant cereal -- showed most contained some level of inorganic arsenic, a known human carcinogen."

"The watchdog group said some varieties of brown rice -- including brands sold by Whole Foods Markets Inc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc -- contained particularly significant levels of inorganic arsenic.

It recommended ways for children and adults to limit their intake of rice products each week and said U.S. regulators should ban arsenic-containing drugs and pesticides used in crop and animal production.

'The goal of our report is to inform - not alarm - consumers about the importance of reducing arsenic exposure,' said Urvashi Rangan, director of safety and sustainability at Consumer Reports. 'The silver lining in all of this is that it is possible to get a better handle on this.'"

Lisa Baertlein and Caroline Humer report for Reuters September 18, 2012. [2]