Published : 24 Sep 2026, 12:05 AM
Updated : 24 Sep 2026, 12:05 AM
Rice arrives on the Bangladeshi table almost by default -- steaming, familiar and consumed in quantities few other foods can match. But as concerns grow over excessive heavy metals and pesticide residues in vegetables and fruit, a new study has offered a mixed picture of the safety of the country’s staple grain.
Levels of the harmful heavy metals lead and cadmium in market rice remained below international limits. Yet 19 of 104 samples, or 18 percent, contained inorganic arsenic above the maximum level set by the Codex Alimentarius.
The study was conducted recently at the Rice Analytical Laboratory (RAL) under the Crop Quality and Nutrition Division of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).
Researchers collected 104 commercial rice samples from 17 markets across eight divisions and tested them for cadmium, lead and residues of 22 selected pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides and fungicides used in rice cultivation.
Under international food standards, rice is considered within the tolerable limit at up to 0.2mg of arsenic, 0.4mg of cadmium and 0.2mg of lead per kilogram.
Habibul Bari Sajib, a member of the research team and quality manager at RAL, said cadmium, lead and pesticide residues in the samples were all below permitted limits, which was “quite encouraging”.
But 19 samples exceeded the Codex ceiling of 0.2mg/kg for inorganic arsenic. In other words, arsenic levels remained within the limit in 82 percent of the samples.
Long-term exposure to arsenic can pose health risks, making monitoring of the contaminant in rice particularly important.
“Some samples exceeded the international limit for inorganic arsenic, but there is no need for panic; what is needed is regular monitoring and more extensive research,” Habibul Bari said.
He said the research was conducted in the 2025-26 financial year and its findings are awaiting publication in an international peer-reviewed research paper. Researchers are therefore not releasing detailed sample-by-sample concentrations yet.
“This is a pilot study. It is not possible to draw a final conclusion from it about rice from all markets, all rice varieties, production areas and seasons in Bangladesh.”
For the public, Habibul Bari said: “The message is therefore clear. On food safety, do not rely on panic or rumours; put your trust in scientific data, regular testing and effective monitoring.”
Why Arsenic Needs Watching
Researchers say arsenic occurs naturally in the soil and groundwater of some parts of Bangladesh. Irrigation can carry it into rice fields, allowing rice plants to absorb some arsenic from soil and water.
But finding arsenic in a rice sample does not, by itself, make the rice scientifically “dangerous”. Health risk depends on the contaminant level, how much rice a person eats each day, how many years it is consumed, body weight, and exposure to the same contaminant through water and other foods.
Because Bangladeshis consume large quantities of rice, regular monitoring of inorganic arsenic is important, Habibul said.
He explained that indicators such as the target hazard quotient, hazard index and target cancer risk are screening-based methods for assessing risk. A high value for any of these indicators does not mean a person will certainly become ill or develop cancer.
How Contaminants Reach Rice
Rice plants can absorb different pesticides and heavy metals from soil and water, but not all of them reach the grain at the same concentration, Habibul said.
Heavy metals can occur at relatively higher levels in rice roots and straw. The rice husk or outer covering also contains more material, while the edible grain may contain comparatively less.
Prof SM Imamul Huq, a retired teacher of Dhaka University’s Department of Soil, Water and Environment, said arsenic occurs in groundwater in some parts of the country and can enter the food chain through irrigation.
Prolonged consumption of excessive arsenic in food can have harmful effects, he said, making regular research and greater awareness about arsenic in paddy and rice necessary.
No Reason to Stop Eating Rice
Rice is central to the Bangladeshi diet. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Household Income and Expenditure Survey, average daily rice consumption per person is 328.9g.
BRRI researchers say, however, there is no reason for people to stop eating rice or reduce their intake based on this preliminary study.
“Overall, the picture for cadmium, lead and selected pesticides in the tested samples is encouraging; inorganic arsenic was also within the Codex limit in most samples.
“So there is no reason to stop eating rice or unnecessarily reduce its consumption based on this study. However, it should also be remembered that this is only a pilot study involving 104 samples.”
Habibul said the findings cannot support final conclusions about rice from every market, variety, production area or season.
The next step, he said, should include a larger national survey, regular market monitoring, region- and season-specific testing, and identification of the sources of rice with comparatively higher arsenic levels.
Research should also expand into safer irrigation, rice varieties that absorb less arsenic and suitable processing technologies.
Food Safety Authority Steps Up Watch
Asked about contaminants in rice, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority Chairman Md Shafiqul Islam said efforts were under way to expand food safety activities while raising public awareness about contaminants that remain below tolerable limits.
Simply enforcing laws cannot ensure food safety, he said. Awareness must be strengthened by involving influential people from different professions and sectors.
Shafiqul Islam also said his authority was working in coordination with relevant departments and ministries, including agriculture and livestock.
Monitoring would also cover excessive pesticide use on vegetables and fruit, antibiotic use in livestock and poultry, and the marketing of crops before the prescribed waiting period after pesticide application.
The State of Rice
Bangladesh ranks third globally in rice production. The country produced 46 million tonnes of rice in the 2024-25 financial year.
Writing on “Nutritional security and safety of paddy and rice in Bangladesh”, Bangladesh Agricultural University Food Engineering and Technology professor Md Abdul Alim said a rice kernel consists of 20 percent husk, 8-12 percent rice bran and 68-72 percent white or milled rice.
The outer layer is the husk, followed by rice bran, which comprises the pericarp, seed coat and nucellar tissue. The endosperm comes next and contains the aleurone cell layer and starch granules, alongside the germ or embryo.
According to Alim, the outer portions of the rice kernel contain the greatest amounts of nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, while the interior is mainly starch. Excessive polishing therefore reduces rice’s nutritional value.
BRRI has analysed brown rice and 5 percent and 10 percent polished BRRI dhan28, in parboiled and non-parboiled forms, for protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9, iron, manganese, zinc, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
The analysis found that as polishing increased from brown rice, protein, fat and vitamins declined rapidly, while only carbohydrate increased.
BRRI has so far developed 127 high-yielding modern rice varieties -- 117 inbred and 10 hybrid. The Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture has released 25 varieties, while Bangladesh Agricultural University has released three. Several other universities and research institutions have also developed new varieties.
The Food Planning and Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Food has already conducted a survey in 18 districts that produce the most rice.
The dominant market brands in those districts include BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan29, Miniket, Nazirshail and Swarna.
BR28 is sold under names including 28 Number Huski, 28 Special, 28 Number Miniket, Lichu 28, Three Star 28 and Hamid 28. BRRI dhan29 is marketed as 29 Special, 29 Number Miniket, Lichu 29, Three Star 29 and Hamid 29. Miniket rice itself is sold under different names depending on location and rice mill.
