BOC, NFA confiscate smuggled Chinese rice from local retailers

National Food Authority (NFA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) conduct a joint operation in Manila to track down rice possibly illegally obtained from China. Rice confiscated from three local retailers.
(Photo courtesy of the National Food Authority)

MANILA – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) in partnership with the National Food Authority (NFA) confiscated 1,561 kilos of allegedly smuggled Chinese rice from local retailers in Binondo and Arranque Market, Manila.

The retail stores raided were Hua Chong Mart and Mandarin Supermarket in Binondo and Forwarders Food Mart in Arranque Market. All three were unauthorized to sell rice sourced from China.

Nine 25-kilogram bags of rice, 18 two-kilogram bags, 50 five-kilogram bags and 105 10-kilogram bags were confiscated from the three local retailers.

Samples of the rice stocks were already subjected to age determination, which found out that the rice was about three to four months old.

“During the age determination, it was discovered that the rice stocks are new and this cannot be traced to the batch auctioned by the BOC in October 2014. We don’t have import permits for China so these are smuggled,” NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay said.

“My instruction is, since we have been conducting inspections daily, to immediately have rice of questionable quality tested,” Dalisay added.

The confiscated Chinese rice were then stored at the NFA warehouse for the meantime as charges against the storeowners were still being discussed.

“They will be investigated and whether they will be charged or not will depend upon the findings of the investigation,” Food security chief Francis Pangilinan said.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has also been investigating on the proliferation of synthetic rice in the Philippines.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte earlier admitted that fake rice was sold in his city. Samples of the fake rice were then brought to the NFA-Food Development Center for laboratory testing and the results showed that the grains contained dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a chemical usually used to make plastic items.

The NFA, for its part, urged the public to be cautious in buying rice from local retailers and to immediately report any incident of consuming synthetic rice. They disclosed that fake rice feels chalky when dry and sticky when cooked; and can also last up to three weeks whereas genuine rice usually only lasts a day.

Synthetic rice, which was purportedly manufactured in China, was reportedly made of potatoes and resin. It has been illegally traded in neighboring countries India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.