Scientists have said that a type of small organic arsenic found in some foods could pose a health risk.
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) risk assessment found that exposure to dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) compounds poses a health risk, while monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) does not pose a problem for any age group.
The largest concentrations of these compounds are in rice, algae and seafood. Traces of DMA have been found in breast milk. The highest chronic dietary exposure to DMA was estimated in toddlers, with rice and fish being the main contributors within the population groups.
Experts said exposure to DMA poses a health risk, especially for heavy consumers due to its link to higher bladder cancer rates in rats. However, results from studies of DMA in mice are inconsistent and do not provide convincing evidence of carcinogenicity.
For MMA, the highest chronic dietary exposures were estimated for major consumers of fish and processed or preserved fish in the infant and elderly age groups.
Findings from part two of four
For other minor organoarsenic species, the toxicological data were insufficient and therefore were not included in the risk assessment.
The work included literature review, estimates based on available consumption data, reported occurrence data, and feedback from a public comment period.
The European Commission has asked EFSA for four scientific opinions on arsenic in food. The first, for inorganic arsenic, was published in January 2024, and the second covers minor organoarsenic species. Parts three and four, covering complex organoarsenic species and combined exposure to inorganic and organic arsenic, are expected to be completed in early 2025.
The initial assessment found that consumer exposure to inorganic arsenic in food causes health problems such as skin cancer.
The findings of the latest advice provide the European Commission with a scientific basis when it decides to set maximum levels for MMA and DMA in food. So far no such limits have been established.
Recommendations from EFSA experts included improving analytical methods, continuing to collect data on occurrence in foods and conducting research on the effects of minor organoarsenic species.
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