Arsenic In Rice

[Uncle Sparky]

According to Regexcellent, caring about the environment in which your food was grown in is a hallmark of hipsterdom.

Yes, caring about the environment in your food choices (or moreover believing your food choices actually affect the environment in a meaningful way) is a hipster phenomenon.

I always buy Chernobyl grown pumpkins. They are reasonably priced and keep the neighbourhood kids out of the yard.

[Aeson]

I eat rice every day. I don't think they've ever grown cotton here, and don't usually use much in the way of pesticides on the rice. But I'm sure there's plenty of goodies in the soil/groundwater since the mountains are volcanic and the irrigation is all runoff. I know there's chromate deposits nearby.

[Tuberski]

Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
Mitch Hedberg

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/qu...qCOc0itxTBH.99

ACK!

[regexcellent]

Didn't Mitch Hedburg die from a speedball overdose?

Oh damn, that's what I should put in the candy I hand out to the neighborhood kids. Better get rid of all those razor blades.

[Tuberski]

Yep.

ACK!

[notyoueither]

I eat rice every day. I don't think they've ever grown cotton here, and don't usually use much in the way of pesticides on the rice. But I'm sure there's plenty of goodies in the soil/groundwater since the mountains are volcanic and the irrigation is all runoff. I know there's chromate deposits nearby.

The article set me to thinking about crops from jurisdictions where capital is available and regulations are minimal or irregular in enforcement. *cough* China *cough*

[The Mad Monk]

I don't think China would be a problem, if only because they are a net importer of food...I think.

[notyoueither]

I check for place of origin. It is surprising how much food comes from China around here.

[snoopy369]

China is a net importer of some foods, exporter of other foods.

[Dinner]

I check for place of origin. It is surprising how much food comes from China around here.

Yeah, it is every where now and it all makes me nervous about what poisons might be lurking in it given the Chinese reputation for playing fast and loose with food safety laws. Just about all cheap frozen fish is now Chinese farm raised (how else can you sell cod or salmon fillets frozen and individually packaged for just $1 each) but I avoid them like the plague given the bad press about contamination in Chinese seafood. Jarred mushrooms are just about all from China now, jarred minced garlic is mostly from China (only about 1/4th is from California these days), canned oysters, most apple juice concentrate, just about all pet food (and Chinese pet food has been known to kill pets), and who knows what else.

I actively avoid food from China when ever possible out of safety concerns.

[Spaced Cowboy]

I read the article. Thai rice is okay, US rice from the south-central, not so much. Cotton lands that use arsenic as a pesticide.

That being said, for some reason (taste?) we have been using Thai rice for some time.

[Dinner]

The 20lb bag I have in my cupboard says it is from Thailand while the 10 lb bag says it is basmati rice from India. I'm not sure if cotton was ever grown in the rice grown parts of India or not.

[notyoueither]

Yeah, it is every where now and it all makes me nervous about what poisons might be lurking in it given the Chinese reputation for playing fast and loose with food safety laws. Just about all cheap frozen fish is now Chinese farm raised (how else can you sell cod or salmon fillets frozen and individually packaged for just $1 each) but I avoid them like the plague given the bad press about contamination in Chinese seafood. Jarred mushrooms are just about all from China now, jarred minced garlic is mostly from China (only about 1/4th is from California these days), canned oysters, most apple juice concentrate, just about all pet food (and Chinese pet food has been known to kill pets), and who knows what else.

I actively avoid food from China when ever possible out of safety concerns.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of credibility on consumer safety when it comes to China. Although, I suppose when they do catch up with the developed world the cost benefits will be greatly diminished.

In a way the fact that most canned mushrooms are from China was a benefit to me. I started buying fresh and doing my own for steaks, sauces and such. Hmmm. Garlic and wine fried mushrooms.

Mincing garlic is easy with one of these. Very handy for ginger and lemon zest as well.

[regexcellent]

It looks like a cheese grater.

[notyoueither]

The 20lb bag I have in my cupboard says it is from Thailand while the 10 lb bag says it is basmati rice from India. I'm not sure if cotton was ever grown in the rice grown parts of India or not.

I just bought a two pound bag of the cheapest on the shelf. Thought, what the hell can be the difference between no-name and a brand? I'm not going to pay them to advertise to me! etc.

I'll enjoy my arsenic with the sound economic decision I've made.