Heavy consumers of rice and fish , foods with residues of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) , are exposed to carcinogenic risks.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) highlights this in the new risk assessment published, asking the European Commission to establish tolerance thresholds for the presence of organic arsenic in foods to protect citizens' health.
The evaluation
EFSA experts, in the opinion requested by the European Commission, conclude that exposure to dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) poses a health risk , particularly for heavy users, due to its link with higher rates of breast cancer. bladder observed in rats.Unlike DMA, however, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) does not represent a significant health problem for any age group. The highest levels of organo-arsenic species were found in rice and fish.
Arsenic
Like other natural metals, arsenic can be present as a residue in foods, due to human activities, contamination during food processing or during the conservation phase.The accumulation of metals in the body can cause harmful effects over time.
Among the more harmful effects on health, EFSA notes that exposure to DMA at certain levels increases the onset of bladder tumors , so much so that the panel concluded that it is likely to be genotoxic.
New ratings
EFSA was tasked by the European Commission to update its assessment to take into account new studies that have emerged on the toxic effects of the contaminant, since the last one dates back to 2009.The first opinion on the presence of inorganic arsenic in food was published in January ; The second opinion concerns the risk assessment of small organic species ; the third and fourth opinions will arrive by the beginning of 2025 and will concern, respectively, the risk assessment of complex organic species and combined exposure to inorganic and organic arsenic. (Source: https://www.vet33.it/ )