How we are all cooking rice incorrectly - and could be endangering our health Sarah Knapton

Putting more water in the pan or even steeping it overnight is the best way to flush out traces of the poison arsenic, they found.

Rice is nice

Experts have long debated what level of arsenic is safe, with new limits set by the EU in 2016.

Chronic exposure to the toxin has been linked to a range of health problems including developmental problems, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

But experiments suggest that the way rice is cooked is key to reducing exposure to the toxic but naturally occurring chemical.

Grain of truth Credit: Alamy

Prof Andy Meharg, from Queens University Belfast, tested three ways of cooking rice for the BBC programme Trust Me, I’m a Doctor.

In the first, he used a ratio of two parts water to one part rice, where the water is “steamed out” during cooking.

In the second, with five parts water to one part rice, with the excess water washed off, levels of arsenic were almost halved.

And in the third method, where the rice was soaked overnight, levels of the toxin were reduced by 80 per cent.

Measure the dry rice in a jug.
Wash then rinse the rice really well, until the water is clear.
Drain well.
Place rice in a saucepan with double the amount of water plus a little salt and stir once.
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat all the way down and cover the pan tightly with a lid.
Cook on the lowest heat possible for 10-15 mins without uncovering the pan.
Use a fork to fluff up the cooked rice.

cpukka