No fake rice in Philippines – NFA

MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) yesterday ruled out the existence of synthetic rice in the country after the sample obtained from Davao tested positive for rice DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and rice starch structure.

Initial tests conducted by the NFA-Food Development Center (FDC) in Taguig showed the sample to be contaminated with the compound dibutyl phthalate, which is used in making flexible plastics.

The Food and Drug Administration also found in the sample three other non-active pharmaceutical ingredients used for coatings in medicine tablets. These are polyvinyl alcohol, cedrol and butyl levulinate.

DNA analysis conducted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute showed the sample has the same makeup as that of the ordinary rice while starch analysis conducted by the International Rice Research Institute showed the starch is closer to rice than corn or sweet potato from which synthetic rice is supposedly made.

Some of the samples were also sent to a laboratory in The Netherlands for analysis to determine the nature of the starch granules.

The results showed that the starch content of the sample is closer to rice than sweet potato or corn.

“What is clear from tests conducted by various agencies is that there is no fake rice in the country,” NFA administrator Renan Dalisay said in a briefing yesterday.

Food Security Secretary Francis Pangilinan said the anomalies in the rice samples obtained from Davao remains an isolated case.

“It took some time before we were able to determine this but we want to know for sure, scientifically and not based on speculation,” Pangilinan aid.

News of the supposed proliferation of synthetic rice in the country erupted late in June.