Mahatma Rice Lawsuit: Heavy Metals Allegedly Contaminate Brown Rice

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit claims Riviana Foods and First Street Food sold brown rice products contaminated with undisclosed heavy metals, deceiving consumers about product safety.

Consumers Affected: Consumers who purchased Mahatma Brown Whole Grain Rice and First Street Long Grain Brown Rice products.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Riviana Foods and First Street Food face separate but similar class action lawsuits alleging their brown rice products contain undisclosed heavy metals including arsenic and cadmium that pose health risks to consumers.

Plaintiff Everett Scott filed both complaints, claiming the companies deliberately failed to warn customers about heavy metal contamination in Mahatma Brown Whole Grain Rice and First Street Long Grain Brown Rice products. 

Scott argues that reasonable consumers expect rice purchased for family consumption to be safe rather than contaminated with substances known to accumulate in the human body.

The lawsuits allege that both companies capitalized on consumer demand for safe food products while concealing material information about potential heavy metal exposure from their brown rice offerings.

Lawsuits Claim Brown Rice Products Contain Undisclosed Heavy Metals

Scott filed separate but parallel class action complaints against Riviana Foods over Mahatma Brown Whole Grain Rice and against First Street Food concerning First Street Long Grain Brown Rice. Both cases allege identical patterns of alleged heavy metal contamination disclosure failures.

The complaints contend that both companies were "reckless and/or intentional" in their alleged failure to disclose the presence of heavy metals in their respective brown rice products. According to Scott, this pattern suggests systematic problems with heavy metal testing and disclosure across the rice industry.

Scott's complaints emphasize that heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium are particularly dangerous because they accumulate in the human body over time rather than being eliminated through normal metabolic processes. The lawsuits argue that even small amounts consumed regularly can build up to harmful levels.

According to the complaints, these substances "pose significant and dangerous health consequences" when consumed through contaminated food products. The accumulative nature of heavy metal exposure makes disclosure especially important for products consumed regularly like rice.

Brown rice products face particular contamination risks because heavy metals tend to concentrate in the outer bran layers that remain attached during brown rice processing. White rice undergoes additional processing that removes these outer layers, potentially reducing heavy metal content.

The lawsuits contend that manufacturers should test their products for heavy metal contamination and disclose results to consumers, especially for products marketed to health-conscious shoppers seeking nutritious whole grain options.

Consumer Expectations of Safety vs. Industry Practices

Scott argues that reasonable consumers purchasing rice for family consumption expect products to be safe and free from contamination with dangerous substances. The complaints suggest that both companies exploited these safety expectations while failing to provide adequate disclosure about potential risks.

According to the lawsuits, consumers would not have purchased the rice products, or would have paid less for them, if they had known about heavy metal contamination risks. This alleged lack of disclosure prevented customers from making informed purchasing decisions about products they consumed regularly.

The complaints contend that both companies marketed their brown rice products without adequate warnings about potential heavy metal content, effectively misleading consumers about product safety. Scott argues this violated consumer trust and expectations about food safety standards.

Both companies allegedly benefited financially from consumer assumptions about product safety while failing to provide the transparency needed for informed purchasing decisions.

Rice Industry Faces Growing Contamination Allegations

The Mahatma and First Street Food cases represent part of a larger trend of litigation targeting rice products over heavy metal contamination. Amazon recently faced a similar class action lawsuit over rice products sold through its platform containing arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury without adequate customer warnings.

The Amazon case involved Iberia Basmati rice and other varieties sold through the retail platform, with plaintiffs arguing that the company failed to test for or disclose heavy metal presence. These cases reflect increasing consumer awareness about heavy metal risks in rice products.

Food safety advocates have raised concerns about heavy metal contamination in rice products, particularly those marketed to health-conscious consumers seeking whole grain options. Brown rice faces particular scrutiny because processing methods retain outer layers where heavy metals tend to concentrate.

In the Mahatma brown rice lawsuits, Scott wants both cases certified as class actions representing consumers who purchased the respective rice products during applicable time periods. The California and nationwide classes could potentially include thousands of customers who bought contaminated rice products.

Both complaints demand jury trials and request declaratory and injunctive relief requiring proper disclosure of heavy metal testing results. Scott seeks actual, statutory, treble, and punitive damages for himself and all class members affected by alleged disclosure failures.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Scott, et al. v. Riviana Foods Inc. / Scott, et al. v. First Street Foods LLC
• Case Number: 1:25-cv-00735
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Plaintiffs' Attorney:

• Trenton R. Kashima and Nick Suciu (Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC)

Do you buy Mahatma or First Street brown rice? What are your thoughts on these allegations? Share your concerns below.