'Plastic rice' is rather contaminated rice, says Nigerian food and drugs body

Nigeria’s food and drug agency has confirmed preliminary tests on intercepted rice that it is not “plastic rice” but rather contaminated rice.

The Acting Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Yetunde Oni said that according to the final test results, the suspected rice is unwholesome.

“Based on the above laboratory result, the product is not plastic but rice contaminated with micro organisms above permissible limit, hence the seized rice consignment is unsatisfactory and, therefore, unwholesome for human consumption,” Oni said on Thursday at a joint press conference with the Customs Service.

She added that the consignment will be destroyed by the Customs Service and warned the public against consuming such unwholesome rice.

The 102 bags of rice branded Beat Tomato Rice were intercepted by Customs authorities in Ikeja, the state capital of Lagos State, after a tip off that it was the rumoured “plastic rice”.

One person was arrested in connection with the commodity and its distribution.

Nigeria’s Health Minister, Isaac Adewole later dismissed the “plastic rice” claims after preliminary tests.