Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. 
Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. What was studied?
Chronic dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic was estimated for the European population using harmonized food consumption surveys linked to European occurrence data for inorganic arsenic (iAs) in foods and drinking water. The report assembled 13,608 analytical results (7,623 for drinking water and 5,985 for foods) collected across Europe during 2013–2018, then paired these data with standardized consumption information to calculate long-term (chronic) iAs intake using lower-bound (LB) and upper-bound (UB) handling of left-censored results (values below detection/quantification). The analysis also interpreted exposure estimates against the EFSA CONTAM benchmark dose lower confidence limit range (BMDL01: 0.3–8 µg/kg bw/day) used as a reference point for a 1% increased risk of certain cancers and skin lesions.
Who was studied?
The “who” in this exposure assessment is the European population represented in 44 dietary surveys from 23 countries, totaling 87,945 subjects. Exposure was estimated across age classes, with particular attention to infants, toddlers, and other children, because these groups showed the highest chronic dietary exposure to iAs. Adults, pregnant and lactating women were also characterized, and the report noted that in some countries and surveys, specific contributors (notably drinking water, vegetables, and seafood) could become more prominent depending on local patterns and data completeness. The result is a population-wide picture—useful for certification and regulatory alignment—of where inorganic arsenic exposure concentrates, how much uncertainty remains, and which commodities most consistently drive risk-relevant intake.
Most important findings
Across Europe, chronic dietary exposure to iAs was generally below EFSA’s reference-point range at mean LB estimates, but high-consumer (95th percentile) children often reached values within the BMDL01 range, making young age groups the key certification-relevant risk segment. The assessment showed that rice, rice-based products, grains (non-rice), and drinking water were the dominant contributors across age classes, while methodological choices around left-censored data created LB–UB spreads that can materially change compliance narratives.
| Critical point | Details |
|---|---|
| Highest exposure concentrates in young children | The highest estimated chronic dietary exposure occurred in infants, toddlers, and other children. For toddlers, the highest mean LB estimate was 0.30 µg/kg bw/day, while 95th percentile estimates reached 0.58 µg/kg bw/day (toddlers) and 1.20 µg/kg bw/day (infants) across LB–UB ranges, underscoring why certification programs should prioritize infant/young-child product categories. |
| High consumers can fall within EFSA’s risk-reference range | Mean LB exposure was overall below BMDL01 0.3–8 µg/kg bw/day, but maximum 95th percentile LB estimates for infants, toddlers, and other children were within that BMDL01 range, meaning high-end consumers can approach reference points even when averages look “safe.” |
| Main dietary drivers are consistent and certification-relevant | Across age classes, main LB contributors were Rice, Rice-based products, Grains and grain-based products (no rice), and Drinking water—a practical shortlist for HMTC-style surveillance, supplier qualification, and product testing plans. |
| Regulatory non-compliance exists in rice categories, but context matters | In rice and rice-based foods assessed against EU maximum levels, 51 of 2,621 samples (<2%) were above the regulatory limits; however, timing mattered because the EU ML applied from 1 Jan 2016, and some 2016 samples may have been placed on the market earlier, reducing the count considered non-compliant at sampling time. |
| Uncertainty is not a footnote; it shapes “pass/fail” narratives | UB estimates were typically 2–3× LB estimates, driven largely by left-censored data and substitution methods, especially in categories like milk/dairy, some grains (non-rice), and juices; for certification, this argues for analytical methods with lower LOQs and tighter speciation data to reduce false reassurance (LB) or inflated concern (UB). |
Key implications
For HMTC-style programs, chronic dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic indicates that regulatory impact is most acute for infant and child foods, where high consumers can overlap EFSA’s BMDL01 range. Certification requirements should prioritize validated low-LOQ speciation methods, rice/rice-ingredient traceability, and water-quality controls for products requiring reconstitution. Industry applications include targeted testing of rice-based snacks and infant cereals plus supplier monitoring in known hotspot regions. Research gaps include better accounting for preparation effects (e.g., rinsing/cooking water) and missing ingredient reporting, which can bias exposure estimates; practical recommendations are to standardize ingredient facets and capture preparation-water contributions in assessments.
Citation
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), Arcella D, Cascio C, Gomez Ruiz JA. Scientific report on the chronic dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic. EFSA Journal. 2021;19(1):6380. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6380
Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that ranks first on the ATSDR toxic substances list. Inorganic arsenic contaminates water, rice and consumer products, and exposure is linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive deficits, low birth weight and cancer. HMTC’s stringent certification applies ALARA principles to protect vulnerable populations.
