Does rice milk contain arsenic, and is it safe for toddlers who drink it daily?

What's actually in it

Rice milk is made by blending cooked rice with water and straining it. It's a go-to dairy alternative for families avoiding cow's milk due to allergies, lactose intolerance, or dietary preferences. But rice plants are unusually good at absorbing inorganic arsenic from soil and water. That arsenic carries over into rice milk.

Inorganic arsenic is the more toxic form. It's classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, meaning it's confirmed to cause cancer in humans. It's linked to bladder, lung, and skin cancers, and in children, it can affect brain development.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Foods tested rice-based beverages sold in stores for inorganic arsenic levels. The researchers then calculated how much arsenic people would actually take in based on typical drinking habits.

Every rice milk sample contained measurable levels of inorganic arsenic. For adults drinking moderate amounts, the exposure stayed within acceptable ranges. But the math changes dramatically for young children. A toddler who drinks rice milk as a daily milk replacement gets a much higher dose per pound of body weight.

The study's exposure assessment showed that for children under 3 who drink rice milk regularly, daily arsenic intake could approach or exceed the levels that health agencies consider safe. The younger and smaller the child, the bigger the concern.

This isn't unique to one brand or one country. Arsenic in rice is a global issue. The levels depend on where the rice was grown, how much arsenic is in the local soil and water, and how the rice was processed. Organic rice milk isn't necessarily lower in arsenic, because arsenic is a naturally occurring element in soil.

For toddlers who can't have dairy, oat milk or pea protein milk are lower-arsenic alternatives. If you do use rice milk, don't make it the only drink your child has every day. Rotating between different milk alternatives spreads out the exposure.