Paddy dealers say ‘plastic rice’ rumours unfounded

As rumours about ‘plastic rice’ go viral in Tamil Nadu, industry players say the rumours are unfounded as it is impossible to produce plastic that can be cooked.

Addressing the media today, AC Mohan, Secretary, Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners and Paddy-rice Dealers Associations, said plastic rice by nature cannot be cooked as it melts when temperature increases.

Plastic rice made headlines last week when an individual from Telangana filed a public interest litigation regarding plastic rice served in a restaurant.

Though civil supplies department officials have declared that it was not a case of plastic rice, social media platforms were flooded with messages about plastic rice and how to distinguish between real rice and the so-called plastic variety.

The misconceptions around plastic rice are that they float, bounce and cost the same as regular rice.

Mohan said bouncing is a property of the rice and when dried they bounce. While most rice grains sink when placed in water, as the quality decreases they float.

“It is a misconception that only plastic floats,” he added. Also plastic rice will be expensive as it is made from plastic and can cost ₹80 to ₹100 a kg as opposed to ₹30 to ₹60 a kg for regular rice.

Earlier Tamil Nadu Food Minister R Kamaraj announced that plastic rice was not sold in the state.

Even then, Mohan said, people are sceptical and needed to be convinced. “Though we have not seen any drop in sales, people are doubtful,” he said.

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