Puffed Rice | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Puffed rice is a heat-expanded cereal product made from Oryza sativa L. by parboiling followed by high-temperature short-time (HTST) treatment in sand or hot air, causing the starch granules to gelatinize and expand dramatically. It is widely used as a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, snack ingredient, and component in traditional and confectionery foods across Asia and globally.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Puffed rice is generally regarded as safe for most populations as a minimally processed whole cereal grain; it carries no IARC classification and no ADI is required. The primary regulatory concern is naturally occurring inorganic arsenic, which rice accumulates at higher levels than other cereal crops due to flooded growing conditions, posing the greatest risk to infants, toddlers, and heavy consumers. Puffed rice also has a high glycemic index (approximately 82–87), making frequent consumption a concern for individuals with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Puffed rice is approved as a cereal food with no specific prohibition. Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1006 (amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006) sets maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in rice-based products: 0.10 mg/kg for rice-based foods for infants and young children, and 0.20 mg/kg for milled (white) rice. These limits apply to puffed rice products marketed in the EU.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Puffed rice (including kheel and other puffed/popped/pounded cereals) is explicitly categorized under Food Category 6.3 (Breakfast Cereals, including rolled oats) in the FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, Appendix A. Permitted food additives listed in Appendix A apply; insecticide residues must not exceed limits in FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulation, 2011.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Puffed rice is recognized as a whole-grain cereal product under 21 CFR Part 137 and categorized under puffed cereal-grain cakes in FDA Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (21 CFR 101.12). No specific maximum level for puffed rice; however, FDA issued a final guidance setting a 100 µg/kg (ppb) action level for inorganic arsenic specifically in infant rice cereals (April 2016, finalized August 2020).source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — Infants consuming rice-based products are disproportionately exposed to inorganic arsenic relative to body weight; FDA has issued an action level (100 µg/kg) for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals, and EFSA sets a stricter 0.10 mg/kg limit for rice foods intended for infants and young children.

Children — Children under five may consume up to three times more rice per kilogram of body weight than adults and are particularly susceptible to adverse neurodevelopmental effects of inorganic arsenic exposure, per FDA and peer-reviewed risk assessments.

Pregnancy — Inorganic arsenic in rice products has been associated with adverse developmental outcomes; pregnant women are advised by public health agencies to diversify grain intake to limit arsenic exposure.

Diabetes — Puffed rice has a high glycemic index (approximately 82–87) due to the structural changes in starch caused by the puffing process, which can cause rapid postprandial blood glucose spikes in individuals with diabetes or insulin resistance.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Arsenic in Rice and Rice-Based Products with Regard to Consumer Health, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. Novel infrared puffing: Effect on physicochemical attributes of puffed rice (Oryza sativa L.), 2023. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3FDA. Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Cereals for Infants: Action Level – Guidance for Industry, 2020. fda.gov
4FDA. Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Risk Assessment Report, 2016. fda.gov
5FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 – Appendix A: Food Category System, 2011. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched5 citations