• According to Altroconsumo's laboratory analyses, basmati rice is often contaminated by pesticides, including banned ones, and aflatoxins.
• The issue is that rice exported from countries such as India and Pakistan is not required to comply with the same rules as rice produced within the European Union.
• The advice is to check the origin of basmati rice and to alternate its consumption with similar varieties grown in Italy.

A test carried out on basmati rice by Altroconsumo has detected the presence of pesticide residues (some of which are not permitted in the European Union) and aflatoxins, mycotoxins produced by moulds that develop in conditions of humidity and heat. Specifically, the consumer association analysed eight samples in the laboratory: aflatoxins were found in five of them and, in one case, exceeded the legal limits. Pesticides were found in almost half of the rice samples analysed: all formally comply with legal limits, but in several cases they involve active substances banned in Europe and still used in the countries where the rice originates. Some of the pesticides detected are in fact classified as endocrine disruptors by Anses (the French food safety agency) or as CMR substances (carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction) by the European Union. It is worth noting that none of the rice samples analysed was organic.

Basmati rice with banned pesticides and aflatoxins, and the need for a level playing field

Altroconsumo reports that in the first six months of 2025, the European Rapid Alert System (Rasff) flagged 66 cases of contamination in imported basmati rice, largely originating from India and Pakistan (82 per cent). On average, a shipment of basmati is blocked or withdrawn at Europe's borders every three days. In 2024 the total number of alerts was 191. The most frequent causes of notifications are precisely banned pesticides and above-threshold aflatoxins.

In a press statement last July, the president of the Ente nazionale risi, Natalia Bobba, had described the situation as intolerable: "We cannot continue to endure a situation that seriously penalises us. These imports take place without reciprocity, and the absence of rules damages the market and our operators. The European market must be open only to products obtained in compliance with the standards to which we too are bound in terms of food safety, environmental protection and labour rights." This is the question of the so-called "mirror clauses", also backed by a Slow Food campaign — that is, stricter reciprocal rules for those exporting to Europe, on rice and beyond.

The advice: check the origin of basmati rice and alternate it with other varieties

Basmati rice is prized for its long-grained shape and its aroma. To limit any potential health risks from the substances found in basmati rice, the consumer association advises checking the origin of the rice on the label and storing it in a dry place, away from sources of heat.

Furthermore, the suggestion is not to overindulge, but to alternate consumption with other rice varieties. In particular, certain aromatic Italian rice varieties similar to basmati are recommended, such as Apollo rice, grown mainly in Piemonte and Sardegna, Fragrance rice, an oriental variety also cultivated in Italy, or Iarim rice, an Italian aromatic rice. Finally, we would add that it is advisable to favour organic rice.