How do you spot fake rice? NFA shows

The National Food Authority (NFA) on Thursday admitted the difficulty of spotting the alleged “fake” rice that may have already entered the Philippine market from China, a report on "24 Oras" said on Thursday.

“Napakahirap magkaroon ng comparison dahil hindi pa tayo nakakakita ng sample ng bigas na fake,” Angel Imperial, chief of the NFA public affairs division, said.

But the NFA assured the public that it will continue to trace the origin of the supposed fake rice – reportedly a mixture of potatoes, sweet potatoes and industrial synthetic resins or plastic – after it has found its way into Davao City stores.

Imperial said the NFA is already conducting laboratory tests on the rice sample it obtained from Davao City.

GMA News also brought a sample of alleged fake rice purchased in Novaliches, Quezon City, and it was tested negative by the NFA.

The sample went through two stages, the report said, to determine whether the rice has bran streaks and grain groove.

“Yung bigas kasi, kapag natural ang production niya, merong markings yung pinagdugtungan ng ipa kahit gaano kaganda ang milling, naroon pa ring ang groove na tinatawag. Kung yan ay extruded siya or molded, di natin makikita 'yun,” Engr. Diocano Alojado, Jr., chief of NFA's technical research and laboratory, said.

Rolando Gomez, assistant division chief of the quality assurance division, said consumers should look for bran streaks in the rice they will purchase.

“Doon sa pinakailalim parang may bungi, makikita ho yung puti,” he added.

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, the spokesman for the Department of Health (DOH), cautioned the public against the consumption of fake rice.

"Kung ang isang bagay ay hindi mo talaga dapat kainin, magdudulot talaga ng problema. Pagdumi, pagsusuka. Maaari pa magdulot ng cancer kung totoong may plastic component,” he said. -Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/NB, GMA News