Dr. Umar Aitsaam

This review addresses arsenic in rice agro-ecosystems and highlights integrated agronomic, water management, and biological strategies to reduce grain arsenic, emphasizing implications for heavy metal certification and food safety in affected regions.

High arsenic in rice is associated with elevated genotoxic effects in humans; this study found clear genetic damage at rice arsenic levels above 200 µg/kg, supporting stricter heavy metal certification and regulatory standards.

This study shows that rice water management has opposing effects on cadmium and arsenic accumulation, making it difficult to reduce both metals in grain simultaneously. Both timing and soil characteristics are crucial for heavy metal certification and regulatory standards.

This study quantifies the economic impact of food safety recalls in the low-moisture food sector, showing significant losses in corporate value and highlighting the financial benefits of investing in food safety technologies for risk reduction.

This global study found only East African and Southern Indonesian rice consistently low in inorganic arsenic, while South American rice was universally high. These insights are crucial for heavy metal certification and regulatory compliance in rice supply chains.

This study mapped global cadmium levels in rice, revealing significant regional variation, frequent regulatory exceedances, and highlighted East Africa as a prime source for low-cadmium rice, providing critical insights for heavy metal certification and food safety programs.

This review addresses arsenic and cadmium accumulation in rice, mechanisms of transfer, and mitigation strategies, providing critical guidance for heavy metal certification programs concerned with food safety and regulatory compliance.

An integrated cassava-safety strategy clean sourcing, cultivar control, processing refinements, and ICP verification minimizes Pb and Cd, safeguards infant foods, and enhances regulatory confidence across supply chains.

This review links a gluten-free diet heavy metals exposure to rice-based ingredients, quantifies biomarker elevations, and outlines HTMC-ready testing, sourcing, and labeling strategies to reduce arsenic and mercury risk across life stages.

A global review documents heavy metal contamination in roadside vegetables, quantifies exceedances, maps pathways from vehicles to humans, and defines exclusion distances and testing needs for HTMC policy.