DA exec: Govt eyes expanded monitoring of rice-based food items from China

The government's monitoring of rice from China for traces of cadmium may be expanded soon to include rice-based food items such as bihon (rice noodles), a Department of Agriculture official said Friday.

DA Assistant Secretary Dante de Lima said he had discussed the matter with DA Secretary Proceso Alcala, who in turn will bring up the matter with the Department of Trade and Industry.

"Kahapon nag-usap kami ni Secretary. Hindi siguro bigas lang... pati bihon na rice-based. Makipag-uusap ang ating secretary sa DTI kung paano," de Lima said in an interview on dzBB.

Earlier, the DA said it will monitor rice imported from China, amid reports excessive levels of cadmium had been found in 44.44 percent of rice products from Guangzhou City.

De Lima had said rice entering the Philippines from China will be screened at the Customs level for cadmium content.

He said the excessive cadmium content may have come from farm inputs used in Southern China.

But in Friday's interview, de Lima said there is a chance the "contaminated" rice could be embedded in some rice-based products.

"Kawawa ang ating consumer na kumakain ng rice-based products galing sa China," he said.

"Siguro mapasuri ang produkto para at least alam natin (It would be better if these products were screened too, just to be safe)," he added.

On the other hand, de Lima advised consumers: "Sana huwag i-patronize ang bigas at rice-based products kung hindi alam saan galing."  — LBG, GMA News