Rice is a grain used in many products, including cereal, pasta, even wine. But a 2012 study by Consumer Reports pointed out that these products contain “worrisome levels” of arsenic. Now, the organization has come back, saying that those levels are even higher.

Consumer Reports, in a follow-up to the 2012 study, has found that through the examination of 656 rice-based products, cereals and pastas consist of higher levels of inorganic arsenic than previously noted in the information from the original study, putting infants especially at risk.

“According to the results of our new tests, one serving of either could put kids over the maximum amount of rice we recommend they should have in a week,” said Consumer Reports in the follow-up. “Rice cakes supply close to a child's weekly limit in one serving. Rice drinks can also be high in arsenic, and children younger than 5 shouldn’t drink them instead of milk.”

Arsenic is an element that makes up earth’s crust, with high levels of the substance found in soil, rocks, and water. Inorganic arsenic is a combination of natural arsenic and other elements, including oxygen and sulfur. Both organic and inorganic arsenic are toxic to humans, though inorganic is worse, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

The main factors that determine how much inorganic arsenic is present are region and variety of rice grains. Consumer Reports found that all types of rice, excluding quick cooking and sushi, from Texas, Arkansas, or Louisiana had higher levels of the substance than rice from any other part of the United States. But white rice from California had 38 percent less inorganic arsenic than white rice from other parts of the country.

“White basmati rice from California, India, and Pakistan, and sushi rice from the U.S. on average has half of the inorganic-arsenic amount of most other types of rice,” Consumer Reports said in the follow-up, adding that brown basmati rice from these regions is also ideal, containing a third less of inorganic arsenic levels found in other brown rice.

Variety extends even farther, with brown rice containing 80 percent more inorganic arsenic than white rice of the same type, though Consumer Reports still encourages people to consume some level of brown rice as it contains more nutrients. Gluten-free grains such as buckwheat and millet also have low levels, along with certain gluten grains, such as burro and barley. Quinoa has an average amount compared to other types of grains.

The report recommends rinsing one cup of rice with up to six cups of water before cooking will help reduce the amount of inorganic arsenic.

The 2012 study only tested 60 rice-based products, with Consumer Reports recommending that babies and toddlers be served cereals from a variety of grains, and that they consume only one serving of infant rice cereal per day. Data from the follow-up did not change this view, though the Food and Drug Administration recommends that everyone, from babies to pregnant women, eat many different grains. The FDA has yet to set a federal limit on arsenic levels in rice.