A few years ago, concerns were raised about unsafe levels of arsenic in rice cereal. Rice cereal was the “go-to” first food for infants for decades, because it was thought to be one of the least allergenic foods. Current recommendations encourage the introduction of a variety of foods in any order, because the risk of food allergy is primarily related to family history and is not related to the order or timing of introduction of any particular food.

Commercially prepared infant foods are often marketed as being “special” and “unique” for babies, when in fact, they are just packaged food for parents’ convenience. We have only had jarred baby food for a few decades, and the human race has survived without it for eons. Most of the world’s population today has no access to store-bought infant food, and they feed their babies whatever their family is eating, with the texture modified to match the baby’s ability.

Here are practical guidelines for parents and pregnant women regarding arsenic and rice:

DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.