IN THE wake of reports about alleged fake rice in the market, the National Food Authority (NFA) released guidelines for the public to ensure the rice they are buying is real.
For raw rice, consumers should make sure they are buying only from retailers accredited by the NFA or from their “suki” rather than from vendors they do not know or trust. An NFA accredited store displays the trader’s full name and license number.
If the grains are uniformly-sized, there’s a chance they may have been made by a machine. All rice grains have a chalky dot or scar at the tip of the kernel where the germ or embryo was removed, which looks like a small groove at the tip of each grain of rice.
Aside from the appearance, consumers should also be aware of the smell of rice. If it smells anything like plastic or any synthetic material, it should be subjected to laboratory analysis to ascertain the composition of the “grain.”
For cooked rice, consumers must also make sure it does not smell unusual and there should be no foam like substance left on top of the rice when cooked.
Consumers are also advised to see a doctor immediately if they feel ill from eating any suspected fake rice.
Sample of the rice, at least one kilogram, should be brought to the NFA-Food Development Center for analysis. For those who cannot go to NFA directly, they may give their address and contact details so NFA agents can get the samples from them.
Consumers may contact the NFA Bantay Bigas Hotline 0906-4363133 to report any complaints related to suspected fake rice or rice trading violations. (PR)