The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has laid to rest the claims about the presence of plastic rice in Nigeria.
The said plastic rice purportedly originated from China.
For some weeks now, the social media has been awash with claims of plastic rice that had allegedly been imported massively into the country.
However, in two tweets through his twitter handle @IsaacFAdewole, the health minister said preliminary tests and results had proved that no rice in the country was plastic.
He noted that some of the impounded rice, when cooked, had “normal odour,” “normal colour” and was “off white.”
He added that the Director General of NAFDAC had also informed him that there is no such rice in Nigeria.
However, the assurances of the Health Minister run contrary to the convictions of the Customs Service on the existence of ‘plastic’ rice.
On Tuesday in Lagos, the Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) seized 102 bags of plastic rice branded “Beat Tomato Rice’’ with no date of manufacture.
The Customs Area Controller of F.O.U. Comptroller Mohammed Haruna, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said the commodity was stored for distribution as Yuletide gifts for the public.
Haruna said officers of the unit seized the plastic rice along Ikeja area on Monday, adding that a suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.
“Before now, I thought it was a rumour that the plastic rice is all over the country but with this seizure, I have been totally convinced that such rice exists.
“We have done the preliminary analysis on the plastic rice. After boiling, it was sticky and only God knows what would have happened if people consumed it.
“I advise those economic saboteurs who see yuletide season as a peak period for nefarious acts to desist from such illegal business.
“The unit has decided other operational modalities that will make them run for their monies and count their losses,”NAN quotes the controller as saying.
He described smuggling as a global phenomenon, adding that such act could not be curbed entirely but could be brought to its barest minimum.
Haruna appreciated well-meaning Nigerians who provided the service with prompt information that led to the discovery of the bags of plastic rice.
The controller, however, advised the media to educate the public on the existence of plastic rice, adding that it was no longer a rumour.
