Some people may be afraid of getting tricked in restaurants or eating some spoiled food on the street. But you probably never imagined that there are other places you can be tricked with food you don’t want. Did you know that plastic cabbage and eggs have also been made, and you might not be able to recognize if they are fake or not. Now plastic rice is booming in the food market. In almost every African and Asian country, Chinese and Vietnamese plastic rice is hard to be identified. In this short overview, we will provide you with some ways of how to identify fake rice. Besides, learn about consequences of eating fake rice and its influence on your health.
African markets are filled with fake rice
China is the main producer of rice, and nowadays plastic rice as well. The process of making rice was taken to whole different level. These days rice made of plastic is not a joke, but a reality in a lot of Chinese factories. It is cheap and profitable to produce such kind of rice, but how about its danger for people? Not to be tricked with fake rice, here are top ways of how to detect plastic rice:
1. Burn it
Everybody knows how plastic smells. So just take a lighter and burn a handful of rice. Does it smell like burnt plastic? Well, then your rice has to be thrown out.
Burn some rice to identify if it is fake or not
Do this test to check if the rice is fake. Take a few grains of rice and pound it with a mortar and pestle. If the powder gives us white in colour, the rice is natural. If the colour turns yellow, your rice is fake.
3. “Water” it
For this test, you only need to use some cold water. Put raw rice in bowl or glass and pour some water in it. Stir it for a couple of seconds. Then watch carefully to see if the rice sinks or floats. If it sinks to the bottom – the rice is natural. If the rice is floating at the top, it contains some plastic in it.
Water may help you to identify if you eat natural rice or fake one
4. See any mold?
This test would take a while, but it is worth it. First, you need to boil the rice. Then leave it for 2-3 days in warm place. Do not touch the rice. If there is no mold, then rice is fake, being left alone will not have an effect on plastic rice. Usually, original rice gets mold within 30-40 minutes. Therefore, if there is no mold in few days, the rice is fake.
5. Boil it
Put the rice in a pot and observe it while boiling. At around 4-5 minutes, if you notice a layer on the surface, then it’s plastic.
6. Bring some hot oil
Prepare some hot oil and get your rice. Put rice in oil and watch how it will change. Just take some of the rice and drop into some real hot oil. If it is plastic, it will melt. It may also stick to the bottom of a pan or just stick together.
READ ALSO: Current price of rice in Nigeria is growing – Why?
Watch out for fake rice!
The dangers: health risks of eating plastic rice
All dietitians and health experts have stated that plastic grains could cause serious damages to a person’s digestive system. It is so dangerous that after a long period of time eating fake rice, a person simply dies, showing no symptom. Popular platforms, such as Whatsapp and Facebook have been filled with photos of fake rice being sold on markets in Shaanxi province. Neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore also confirmed some “plastic rice” accidents in their countries. Both countries mentioned that rumors about fake rice are true.
Malaysia’s health ministry is aware of that fake rice is being produced in China. After the rice is packed, it will then be exported to a number of Asian and African countries. Also, plastic rice, sold on the Chinese market might even find its way into popular rice brands. The difficult thing is to detect this kind of rice. It is hard because usually it comes mixed with normal rice. Right now, there is no system to check fake rice when importing, but we can help you with ways of identifying fake rice on the spot.
Markets are filled with fake rice bags, how to stop the import?
The toxic synthetic rice is usually made from sweet potatoes or/and synthetic resin (plastic). Usually, you cannot even know it’s fake just by eating it, as it looks and tastes like rice. But your body would definitely let you know, as fake rice is incredibly toxic.
Natural rice is gone, or where can it be found?
No one wants to have semi-boiled plastic rice in own stomach. The danger of fake rice is terrifying. It causes gastritis and stomach-related diseases. Plastic rice consumption causes not only problems with stomach but leads to various other health issues such as cancer, impaired immunity, and problems with reproductive functions, as well as birth defects.
Nutritionist Upasana Shukla says: ” One of the biggest risks of ingesting plastic is the hormonal imbalance it creates giving rise to a host of diseases. It also stops the body from absorbing nutrients present in the food thus leading to deficiencies.”
Now you know how to recognize real rice from the fake. Toxic grains are made of sweet potatoes, plastic and synthetic resin to look like real rice. Because they have been sprayed by chemical product, fake rice even smells like the natural one. Remember to test your rice and share these tips with your friends and family. Watch out for fake rice in shops and stay healthy.
READ ALSO: Plastic Chinese rice reportedly served to unsuspecting family in a hotel
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