Grains
45 products, 45 with published lab results.
Typical levels
What FDA found when it bought and tested this kind of food around the US.
- Cadmium: typically 6.51 ppb (FDA, 57 samples, 2017-2020).
A toddler reaches EPA's daily limit at about 2 kg (4.4 lb) a day; an adult at about 9.4 kg (21 lb).One serving (100 g (3½ oz)):5% of a toddler's daily limit1% of a adult's daily limit
- Arsenic (total): typically 50.7 ppb (FDA, 57 samples, 2017-2020). No US agency limit we can cite.
- Inorganic arsenic: typically 41.6 ppb (FDA, 1 samples, 2019).
A toddler reaches EPA's daily limit at about 22 g (0.78 oz) a day; an adult at about 100 g (3.5 oz).One serving (100 g (3½ oz)):▲ 4.6× a toddler's daily limit● 99% of a adult's daily limit
- Lead, Mercury, Perchlorate: usually below 4 ppb, the lab's limit, in FDA's samples.
FDA samples behind these numbers
- Lead in Quinoa, cooked: found in 1 of 3, average 3.67, highest 11 ppb (2018-2020)
- Lead in Rice, brown, cooked: found in 0 of 27, all below 4 ppb (2017-2020)
- Lead in Rice, white, enriched, cooked: found in 0 of 27, all below 4 ppb (2017-2020)
- Cadmium in Quinoa, cooked: found in 3 of 3, average 11.2, highest 19 ppb (2018-2020)
- Cadmium in Rice, brown, cooked: found in 27 of 27, average 7.98, highest 17 ppb (2017-2020)
- Cadmium in Rice, white, enriched, cooked: found in 27 of 27, average 6.54, highest 23 ppb (2017-2020)
- Mercury in Quinoa, cooked: found in 0 of 3, all below 1 ppb (2018-2020)
- Mercury in Rice, brown, cooked: found in 8 of 27, average 0.36, highest 1.5 ppb (2017-2020)
- Mercury in Rice, white, enriched, cooked: found in 1 of 27, average 0.05, highest 1.4 ppb (2017-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Quinoa, cooked: found in 1 of 3, average 3.33, highest 10 ppb (2018-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Rice, brown, cooked: found in 27 of 27, average 64.3, highest 88 ppb (2017-2020)
- Arsenic (total) in Rice, white, enriched, cooked: found in 27 of 27, average 44.8, highest 75 ppb (2017-2020)
- Inorganic arsenic in Rice, white, enriched, cooked: found in 1 of 1, average 41.6, highest 41.6 ppb (2019)
- Perchlorate in Rice, white, enriched, cooked: found in 3 of 20, average 0.55, highest 6 ppb (2008-2012)
"Typically" is FDA's middle sample. Daily amounts use the long-run average and each chemical's daily limit (EPA reference dose, or FDA's level for lead) for a 33-lb toddler and a 154-lb adult. ppb = micrograms per kilogram of food. Source: FDA Total Diet Study.
How the tested products compare
Each dot is one tested product (its middle sample), on a log scale in ppb; the line is FDA's typical level. Hover or tap a dot for its name.
Cadmium · 45 products
Arsenic (total) · 35 products
Lead · 22 products
Tested products
Median of each product's samples, in ppb (parts per billion), counting samples below the lab's limit. “<10” means the median is below the lab's limit of 10; “–” means not tested for that chemical.
| Product | Cadmium | Arsenic (total) | Lead | Mercury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Grains Farro Kroger | 44.8 | 8.5 | – | – |
| Brown Buckwheat Organic Natural Grocers | 28.8 | – | 11 | – |
| Buckwheat Organic Whole Grain Eden | 38 | 5.55 | – | 0.4 |
| Bulghur #3 Coarse Sadaf | 29.6 | 7.9 | 2.2 | – |
| Bulgur Wheat Iberia | 44.9 | 6.3 | – | – |
| Bulgur Wheat Organic Natural Grocers | 5 | 2.5 | – | – |
| Coarse Bulgur #3 Duru | 8.5 | 4.1 | – | – |
| Couscous organics | 9.4 | – | – | – |
| Couscous Moroccan-Style Pasta RiceSelect | 41.8 | 4.2 | – | – |
| Couscous Original Kroger | 43.7 | 7 | – | – |
| Couscous Pearl Kroger | 26.3 | – | 1 | – |
| Gluten Free Traditional Quinoa Ancient Harvest | 17.7 | – | 2.2 | – |
| Golden Couscous Bob's Red Mill | 43.2 | 4.4 | – | – |
| Hulled Barley Food to Live | 18.4 | 4.6 | – | – |
| Hulled Barley Yankeetraders | 23.9 | 3.3 | – | – |
| Hulled Barley Organic Natural Grocers | 11.2 | 2.5 | – | – |
| Millet Organic Natural Grocers | 40.5 | 7.1 | 3 | – |
| Millet Organic Whole Grain Eden | 34.2 | 8.1 | 1.5 | – |
| Organic Buckwheat Groats, Hulled, Gluten Free Anthony's | 31.3 | 1.8 | – | 0.7 |
| Organic Couscous 365 Whole Foods Market | 13.8 | 2.75 | – | 0.5 |
| Organic Farro Bob's Red Mill | 33.6 | 3.4 | – | – |
| Organic Hulled Barley Grain Place Foods | 10.9 | 2.7 | – | 0.9 |
| Organic Italian Farro 365 Whole Foods Market | 26.8 | 2.2 | 1.1 | – |
| Organic Italian Pearled Farro Nature's Earthly Choice | 8.8 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 0.7 |
| Organic Millet Seeds Food to Live | 9.4 | 4.2 | – | – |
| Organic Millet Whole Grain Hulled Now Real Food | 37.6 | 5.5 | 2.3 | – |
| Organic Premium Quinoa Nature's Earthly Choice | 20.6 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 0.5 |
| Organic Quinoa TruRoots | 59.9 | 7.8 | 3.6 | – |
| Organic Quinoa Good & Gather | 27.3 | 14.7 | 4.3 | – |
| Organic Whole Grain Buckwheat Bob's Red Mill | 24.6 | – | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Organic Whole Grain Bulgur Wheat 365 Whole Foods Market | 31.7 | 4.4 | 2.3 | – |
| Pearl Barley - orge perlee Glicks Everyday | 19.5 | – | – | – |
| Pearl Couscous Toasted Israeli-Style Pasta RiceSelect | 23.8 | 2.3 | 1.15 | – |
| Pearled Barley Yankeetraders | 16.7 | 8.2 | 1 | – |
| Pearled Barley Signature Select | 9.3 | 2.3 | – | – |
| Pearled Barley - Quick Quaker | 15.9 | – | – | – |
| Premium Quality Pearl Barley Bob's Red Mill | 18.2 | – | – | – |
| Quinoa organics | 17.5 | 5.3 | 2.8 | – |
| Quinoa Kroger | 18.2 | 5.9 | – | – |
| Red Quinoa SIMPLi | 18 | 4.4 | 1.5 | – |
| Tri-color Pearl Couscous Bob's Red Mill | 40.9 | 7.8 | 5.5 | 1.1 |
| White Buckwheat Organic Natural Grocers | 27.2 | – | 2.8 | – |
| White Quinoa RiceSelect | 16.5 | – | 2.1 | – |
| Whole Grain Millet Bob's Red Mill | 47.1 | 12.2 | – | 1.1 |
| Whole Grain Red Bulgur Bob's Red Mill | 20.7 | 6.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 |