FDA recalls Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice after victims suffer skin rashes, headaches and nausea

Just days after Natural News Labs revealed the presence of the heavy metals lead, cadmium and tungsten in rice protein products, the FDA has issued an urgent recall of Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice products sold to institutions like schools and nursing homes.

According to the FDA’s recall notice, “FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network (CORE) was notified of a cluster of illnesses at three public schools in Katy, Texas. Thirty-four students and four teachers experienced burning, itching rashes, headaches and nausea for 30 to 90 minutes, before the symptoms went away. Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice Mexican Flavor with the lot number 351EKGRV01, made by Mars Foodservices of Greenville, Miss., was the common food item eaten by ill students.”

This wasn’t the only outbreak from Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice, however. The FDA also reports on several other outbreaks of strange symptoms among children who ate the rice:

“On Dec. 4, 2013, the Illinois Department of Public Health notified CDC of 25 children with similar skin reactions following a school lunch that served an Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice product. North Dakota reported a similar incident that occurred on Oct. 30, 2013. Three children in a daycare and one college student experienced flushing reactions 45 minutes after consuming an Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice product.”

The FDA recall covers:

– UNCLE BEN’S INFUSED Rice Roasted Chicken Flavor (5- and 25-pounds)
– UNCLE BEN’S INFUSED Rice Garlic & Butter Flavor (5-pounds)
– UNCLE BEN’S INFUSED Rice Mexican Flavor (5- and 25-pounds)
– UNCLE BEN’S INFUSED Rice Pilaf (5-pounds)
– UNCLE BEN’S INFUSED Rice Saffron Flavor (5-pounds)
– UNCLE BEN’S INFUSED Rice Cheese Flavor (5-pounds)
– UNCLE BEN’S INFUSED Rice Spanish Flavor (25-pounds)

This recall is just the latest in a steady stream of bad news about rice, most of which is grown in Asian countries that lack any real regulation of industrial pollution affecting agricultural regions where rice is grown. Click here to see a new video explaining how industrial pollution contaminates rice and other crops, even when those crops seem to be grown on “clean” farms.

In November, 2012, Consumer Reports published findings of arsenic in rice. Arsenic is a heavy metal linked to many types of cancer.

Three possible culprits that can cause rashes, headaches and nausea

What can cause these symptoms from eating rice? Lots of things, it turns out. But the three most likely culprits are:

MSG poisoning – The brain-damaging excitotoxin known as MSG is commonly used in many flavored rice products fed to schoolchildren. It’s just one of the many ways in which American society brain damages the next generation of children (mercury in flu shots is another way). MSG poisoning can cause precisely the same symptoms described by the FDA in this recall notice.

Arsenic poisoning – Very high levels of the heavy metal arsenic can also cause similar reactions. Arsenic, of course, can also be deadly in very high concentrations. Click here to see the arsenic page at Labs.Naturalnews.com. It’s difficult to see how deadly levels of arsenic could have been accidentally added to the rice, so my guess is that arsenic is not the culprit here.

Toxic levels of synthetic B vitamins – Many processed food companies like to add fake, synthetic vitamins to their products to act like they are more “nutritious.” A synthetic B vitamin known as niacin can cause a “niacin flush” if consumed in high doses. This can produce skin rash symptoms and possibly nausea.

Most of the food the public is served is toxic in one way or another

As this case clearly demonstrates yet again, even common, everyday foods served to children in public schools can be extremely toxic.

Yet the real story in all this is that most food is toxic at a sub-clinical level, contributing to long-term cancer, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s without producing immediate symptoms that anyone would notice.

The reasons why nearly all foods are toxic these days include:

Mineral depletion – Nearly all beneficial minerals have been lost from the soils or stripped out of foods during processing and refining.

Toxic heavy metals – Foods are grown in soils and irrigated with water containing alarming concentrations of toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Labs.NaturalNews.com publishes heavy metals tests results for foods and superfoods.

Toxic food additives – Toxic food additives such as MSG, sodium nitrite (which causes cancer), aspartame, MSG and chemical preservatives are routinely added to foods to give them enhanced shelf life, flavor or visual characteristics. These additives benefit food companies but cause cancer and other diseases in consumers.

Artificial modifications – The homogenization and pasteurization of milk turns fresh milk into a substance that promotes heart disease and atherosclerosis. The hydrogenation of oils turns harmless oils into substances that clog arteries and cause cancer. Artificially modified ingredients promote deadly diseases but are preferred by food companies because they enhance product stability and texture, making their processed food products seem more appealing to consumers.

How to identify and consume safe food

The answer to all this is to do your homework on what you eat. Here are five important tips for ensuring food safety and purity:

1) Buy fresh ingredients, not processed factory foods.

2) Grow as much food as you can yourself, or buy from local farmers’ markets.

3) Read ingredients labels and avoid anything with added chemicals such as MSG, yeast extract, sodium nitrite or chemical preservatives.

4) Check Labs.NaturalNews.com for heavy metals test results on popular foods and superfoods, then choose food brands with lower concentrations of heavy metals.

5) Eat more whole foods with intact fibers, as fibers tend to help protect you from toxic substances found in foods.

About Natural News

Natural News is a science-based consumer watchdog investigative news agency focused on food science and holistic health.