Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

Harlan Levy. Courtesy photo

By Harlan Levy

I love my morning coffee, a Nespresso decaf, and feel less able to greet the day without it. So I found it distressing to learn the Consumer Price Index’s recent news: Coffee prices climbed nearly 21% in August over year-ago prices, the largest jump since the 1990s. That news also spotlight’s President Trump’s 50% tariff on Brazil – the reason for which, Trump said, was a “witch hunt” against former president and now-convicted Jair Bolsonaro, who attempted a coup to overturn the election – and 20% tariff on Vietnam, the world’s largest coffee exporters, and also 10% on exports from Indonesia. Also adding to the price jump is droughts in coffee-growing regions of the world.

So today I have prices from area supermarkets on South American and Latin American grocery items coffee and plantains – although the tariffs have yet to take effect … so far:

• Big Y: Coffee: $17.99-$27.99. Plantains: 69 cents each.
• Whole Foods: Coffee: $11.99-$17.99. Plantains: $1.29 each.
• Stop & Shop: Coffee: $13.99-$25.49. Plantains: 75 cents each.

I love my morning cup of Nespresso decaf coffee, knowing that Nespresso will soon be raising prices due to the impending Trump tariffs. Photo credit: Harlan Levy

Coffee prices at Big Y will not stay stable once the Trump tariffs kick in. Photo credit: Harlan Levy

Arsenic in rice

I’ve written about the presence of the poison arsenic in drinking water. A new report from the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG.org) cites a recent study from Michigan State University that found that Americans who regularly eat brown rice instead of white may be exposing themselves to higher levels of the heavy metal arsenic. Arsenic is a known human carcinogen that is toxic to people of any age, and it can harm the developing brain of a baby or toddler.

The research also found that young children who often eat brown rice are particularly vulnerable.

I usually order brown rice from Asian takeout restaurants, because, like many others, I view brown rice as a healthier alternative to white rice because it retains more nutrients in the bran – the grain’s outer layers. But that layer is also where arsenic can accumulate, leading to higher arsenic levels in brown rice than in white.

”Heavy metals like arsenic are naturally present in water and soil. But industrial pollution and decades of agricultural use of arsenic-based pesticides have led to intense concentrations in some places,” EWG said. “While all plants can absorb some arsenic, rice plants are especially effective at pulling it from the soil, because of their physiology and growing conditions. These plants can accumulate 10 times more arsenic than other grain crops, in turn increasing your potential exposure.“

The Food and Drug Administration’s monitoring of heavy metals in the food supply has detected the presence of arsenic and other heavy metals in fruit, vegetables and grains. Arsenic levels are consistently higher in rice and foods made with rice flour, bran, and rice-based sweeteners than in non-rice products.

As for governmental regulation, in 2023 the FDA set a non-binding “action level” of 10 parts per billion for the amount of arsenic allowed in apple juice and drinking water, but not for the many rice-based foods with higher concentrations of arsenic.

What you need to know: Arsenic levels are not uniform among rice products. Arsenic concentrations in rice vary based on the variety and the region where it’s grown. The study showed that:

• White rice – specifically basmati, jasmine, and “instant” rice – tend to contain lower concentrations of arsenic than brown.
• Rice varieties grown in California or imported from Southeast Asia are often lower in arsenic than rice grown in other parts of the U.S.
• More brown rice grown in dry soil instead of water-saturated soil could decrease the amount of arsenic that migrates into the grain. And new varieties of rice could be bred to take up less arsenic from the soil and water.

Here’s what to do:

• Limit your rice consumption.
• Rinse rice and cook in extra water to reduce some arsenic content.
• Avoid rice cereal as an infants’ first solid food. Soft fruits, vegetables, or even meats are excellent great first sources of complementary nutrients for a breast- or formula-fed baby.
• Buy processed foods that don’t contain rice.
• Limit consumption of products whose labels list rice syrup as a sweetener.

Now you know.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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