Class Action Lawsuit Claims Arsenic, Cadmium Found in Mahatma Brown Whole Grain Rice

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A proposed class action lawsuit claims that Riviana Foods has failed to warn consumers that its Mahatma Brown Whole Grain Rice contains arsenic and cadmium.

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According to the 29-page lawsuit, independent testing revealed the presence of the toxic heavy metals in the Riviana Foods brown rice, with the products supposedly containing 317 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic and 11.6 ppb of cadmium.

Arsenic and cadmium are well-documented to be harmful to the human body, particularly for children, and have been declared “dangerous to human health” by the FDA and the World Health Organization (WHO), the filing stresses.

Per the complaint, arsenic ingestion is linked to respiratory, hematological, gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, neurological, skin and immunological conditions, as well as to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Similarly, cadmium is a known carcinogen, and exposure to the heavy metal in even small quantities is linked to health issues such as kidney disease, bone loss, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, cardiomyopathy, metabolic acidosis, cardiovascular disease and liver and kidney necrosis, the lawsuit relays. A 2022 study also reported that cadmium exposure can triple a child’s risk of developing a learning disability, the suit says.

Per the lawsuit, the amounts of arsenic and cadmium in the Mahatma Brown Whole Grain Rice greatly exceed the FDA maximum quantity allowances for the heavy metals.

Riviana Foods advertises its Mahatma Whole Grain Brown Rice as “America’s Favorite Rice,” “100% Whole Grain,” “Non-GMO,” “Certified Gluten Free” and “Kosher,” the case states. These representations, though they appeal to consumers increasingly concerned with the makeup and health value of their food, obscure and omit the potential presence of toxic heavy metals in the product, the complaint contends.

The filing argues that a reasonable consumer has no means and at most limited knowledge of how or why to test for toxic contaminants or ingredients in their food and therefore must rely on the representations made by companies on product packaging. The case contests that any reasonable consumer who had been made aware of the heavy metals in the rice would not have purchased the product, or would have paid less for it.

The class action lawsuit against Riviana Foods seeks to represent anyone who bought Riviana Foods Mahatma Whole Grain Brown Rice for household use and not for resale within the applicable statute of limitations period.

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