Tamil Nadu: Not plastic, it's rice polished at fast pace

Chennai: Tension prevailed at Ayanavaram bus depot on Friday after bus drivers complained that they were being served ‘plastic rice’. The employees also started rolling the rice and started bouncing it, inviting media attention. However, food safety officials who rushed to the spot to analyse the substance found in the food maintained that there was no such plastic rice as complained by the transport workers.

“We received complaints from Ayanavaram bus terminal that the food served to the employees at the transport canteen had ‘plastic rice’. Nine different rice samples have been collected from the depot for further tests at Guindy analysis lab”, R. Kathiravan, designated officer, TN food safety department.

We are waiting for the lab report and the content found in the sample will be traced by next week.”

Later in the day, the food safety officials also conducted raids in five places targeting rice godowns.   

“There is no plastic rice. Earlier, rice was polished using a simple mechanism. For instance, 50,000 kilos of rice will be polished in 20 days, but now the polishing is done at a quick pace using synthetic cone machines. This at times makes the rice look synthetic and can give indigestion when consumed. This component of polished rice is mistaken as plastic rice”, a rice mill owner in Red Hills said, explaining the mystery behind plastic rice.

Rice samples collected for test in Coimbatore
Following rumours of arrival of 'plastic rice' in the market circulated on social networking sites, the Food Safety Commissioner has issued an inspection order in Coimbatore district.  

On Thursday, the officials from the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing), Coimbatore district have collected 14 samples of half-kg each from the wholesale rice mandi, rice shops and departmental stores from different parts of Coimbatore district- Saravanampatti, Ganapathy, Periyanaickenpalayam, main bazaar wholesale rice mandi in Kara street, Madukkarai, Sulur, Pollachi, Mettupalayam, Karamadai and six other samples were collected in city level.

"All the samples are sent for laboratory analysis and we would know the results after 14 days time. We believe it is fake news making rounds across the social media. Out of suspicion we conducted this inspection to make sure no such thing called 'plastic rice' is in the market. Coimbatore district has never come across plastic rice in the past," said Dr. O.L.S. Vijay, Designated Officer, Food Safety Wing, Coimbatore.

'Plastic rice' is easy to detect. The moment it is kept in water it will float, said officials.

The state consumer department urged the public to call helpline: +91 944 40 42 322 in case of any food adulteration