‘Plastic rice’ rumour spreads
Manama : Rumours of ‘plastic rice’, which has been doing the rounds in the UAE for the past few weeks, have popped up in Bahrain as well.
According to rumour mills, rice adulterated with plastic was being sold in Dubai markets. Reportedly, some of the top brands of rice and wheat have been using adulterated rice in order to cut costs and increase the profit margin.
Now, similar rumours have been spreading in Bahrain since yesterday as a video taken by a group of Indian expatriates claiming to expose the adulterated rice went viral. In the video shot in Sitra, the group of men attempted to expose the so-called plastic rice by rolling it into a ball and throwing it on the floor. As the ball of rice hits the floor, it is seen bouncing, according to the men it bounced because of the plastic present in the rice.
“We bought this from a restaurant in Sitra, we were about to eat breakfast and we noticed how the rice felt strange,” the man said.
The video went viral on social media and residents have been warning to boycott these brands. These rumours are based on another rumour which has been spreading since 2011 which claimed that a Chinese factory has been manufacturing fake rice. Whether such rice is produced in China and whether it is exported to other countries has never been officially verified.
Dubai authorities recently rejected the rumours. “Reports like these are issued from time to time to question the safety of food available in the Emirate’s markets. All types of rice available in Dubai markets are natural. Though high or low quality types of rice are available; they are within the approved specifications,” a Dubai government official said.
“There is no plastic rice in our markets. If it is there, it is easy to detect by sensing it or during cooking or adding any materials such as butter or oil, which will easily turn into a plastic mass by heat. The Municipality therefore urges consumers not to spread misleading and unrealistic rumours,” the official said.
However, Bahraini authorities are yet to comment on the videos. When contacted, a Health Ministry official said that it is not the ministry’s responsibility while a Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism representative said that residents can contact its consumer protection directorate if any such violations are found.
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