The Food and Drugs Authority has said it has found no evidence of plastic rice in Ghana, as has been purported in the past.
The FDA’s comments come in response to statements made online in 2017, which prompted an inquiry.
“As part of that inquiry, and as part of our nationwide market surveillance activities, the Authority gathered random samples and then asked members of the public to help us by either submitting samples of the alleged plastic rice or providing information about where they may be found.”
Plastics cannot be made into edible food because their physical and chemical qualities prevent them from absorbing water and mixing with it, according to the authority.
“The starch concentration determines the texture of each rice type… The starch in rice has a unique property that permits cooked rice grains to adhere together and be moulded into a ball that can bounce off hard surfaces, as shown in certain social media videos.”
Rice’s sticky texture is due to a substance known as Amylose.
To protect public health and safety, the FDA stated that it would continue to monitor the quality and safety of all rice kinds on the market, both domestic and imported.
