[Mhiz Rebecca]

Recent reports of plastic rice in Nigeria were
untrue as the suspicious shipment merely
contained a significant amount of
contaminants, the National Agency for Food
and Drug Administration and Control has said.
The acting Director-General of the agency,
Yetunde Oni, at a press briefing on Thursday
in Abuja, said though the rice was found not
to be plastic, contrary to media reports, it was
still “unwholesome for human consumption”.
There was anxiety in country earlier this
month when a report stated that the Nigerian
Custom Services had intercepted tonnes of
plastic rice allegedly imported by
unscrupulous businessmen for distribution
during the Christmas festive period.
The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole,
however debunked the report after some
preliminary studies revealed otherwise.
He said there was no truth in the report and
assured Nigerians that there was no cause for
alarm.
However, the laboratory result which was
made public Thursday confirmed the earlier
declaration by the minister.
Mrs. Oni however said that the rice failed
other integrity test which thus ruled it out for
human consumption.
“Based on the above laboratory result, the
product is not plastic but rice contaminated
with micro organisms above permissible limit.