No fake rice in Bohol, assures NFA manager

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — An official of the National Food Authority-Bohol has assured consumers here that there is no fake rice being sold in the province.

NFA-Bohol Manager Maria Fe Evasco assured the public that based on their daily monitoring of Bohol's rice market situation, the agency has not found any evidence of fake rice reaching the supply chain.

Nevertheless, the NFA manager said they will intensify their monitoring and testing of rice grains sold in the market to ease the minds of the public, which have been bombarded with fake rice videos on social media sites.

Evasco, responding to a radio interview seeking her reaction to Facebook postings of fake rice videos, urged the public to stop sharing such videos and help end the dissemination of wrong information.

However, the NFA manager reminded consumers "to be cautious and vigilant in buying rice from the market." She advised consumers that it is safer to buy the grain from local vendors with trusted reputation, adding that buying unfamiliar rice brand names is not a wise decision.

"When in doubt that the purchased rice is deemed 'fake,' the concerned individual can coordinate with the nearest NFA office by bringing at least one kilogram sample of the rice, so it can be checked through laboratory analysis ...," Evasco said.

The NFA manager noted the shape and size of a fake rice grain are perfectly identical from each other. (FREEMAN)