BALANGA CITY, Bataan, August 13 (PIA) — There is no fake rice in Bataan and elsewhere in the country.
This is the guarantee of National Food Authority (NFA) after the issue of alleged fake rice surfaced in Davao last June, concluding that the case was isolated in the said city only.
NFA-Bataan, led by provincial manager Adelaida Nuestro, confirmed that the province is negative from any presence of fake rice based on their thorough inspections in public markets and dialogue with retailers.
“We are negative on fake rice, and according to our retailers in markets, they have not received complaints regarding that,” NFA-Bataan information officer Coco Reyes said.
She added that they have instructed retailers to immediately refer to their office in case complaints arise and to bring samples for testing.
NFA-Bataan conducted daily inspections in public markets to check stocks being sold to the public, and also inspected rice mills and warehouses across the province, Reyes disclosed.
“During these inspections, we alerted our stakeholders to look out and stay vigilant in guarding incoming stocks from other provinces,” she said.
According to an NFA statement, a series of tests proved that the contamination of the alleged fake rice with dibutyl phthalate, a chemical compound used in making flexible plastics, was an isolated case in Davao City and is therefore no cause for alarm among rice consumers.
This is the result of various tests conducted by the agency’s Food Development Center, Philippine Rice Research Institute, International Rice Research Institute, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the Food and Drugs Administration.
“What is clear from the series of tests conducted by various agencies is that there is no existence of fake rice in our country,” NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay said.
Dalisay said the case might have been the result of mishandling or pure neglect to safeguard the rice from contaminants.
“In a span of five weeks, the NFA responded to over a hundred reports and complaints about suspected fake rice from concerned citizens across the country, but none of the samples tested proved positive of any contamination,” he said.
With food mishandling seen as the culprit in the hullabaloo, Presidential Adviser on Food Security Secretary Francis Pangilinan advised the public to exercise caution to avoid contamination in any food.
“This is just a clear case of food mishandling. As we close this issue, we remind the public to be very cautious in their own food handling practices as the government will continue to ensure that food, especially rice, will be available, affordable, accessible and safe for the public,” Pangilinan said. (CLJD/JMG-PIA 3)
