Following alarming reports from the United States about the discovery of high arsenic levels in rice sold in the US market, experts from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines have reassured consumers that rice is safe to eat. In a statement released to SciDev.Net, IRRI said that “that there is no evidence to show that people should stop eating rice grown in Asia because of concerns about arsenic.” But it stopped short of denying claims that arsenic was present in rice.