Rice is one of the main ingredients used in most of the daily popular dishes in Jordan. Like many developing countries, Jordan relies on ineffective detection procedures for heavy metals in rice; thus, the main objective of this study is to analyze and determine heavy metal contaminants and define a procedure of control. Given the concern for food safety, this study assessed the contents of As, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, U, and Th in Basmati rice imported from different sources to Jordan. The levels of toxic metals Cd(II), Co(II), Pb(II), U(VI), and Th(IV) were not detected in Basmati rice samples of this study. The mean concentration of Cr(III, VI) in Basmati rice samples from different origins was (0.41 mg/kg), Cu(II) (2.39 mg/kg), Mn(II) (3.94 mg/kg), Ni(II) (0.90 mg/kg), Zn(II) (8.89 mg/kg) and Fe(II) (11.54 mg/kg). The highest Cr(III, VI) concentration was found in Basmati rice samples of Pakistani origin while the highest Cu(II) and Fe(II) concentrations were found in those of Indian origin.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the only work dealing with the assessment of such heavy metals for imported rice grains in Jordan, and it can be a reference for the public and related institutions.