A WhatsApp video clip showing a ball of rice, allegedly made of plastic, bouncing off a wall went viral recently. The video goes on to claim that traders are selling rice made of plastic.

And this is not the first time such claims have surfaced on the social-media platform. A few months ago, it was plastic cabbage, then came plastic eggs, and now it’s the turn of the most popular staple.

Even as Tamil Nadu Food Minister R Kamaraj and a group of traders hastened to assure the people that plastic rice is not being sold in the State, it did not convince many, especially the young set which unquestioningly trusts all that is put out on social media platforms.

Despite assurances from various authorities and the trade, youngsters feel there is a possibility of plastic rice being sold, though none of them has actually bought any. “When eggs are being made from plastic, why not rice? This news makes me insecure,” says Veena Priyalakshmi, a 21-year-old engineering student.

Not convinced?

Suggesting the impracticability of selling plastic rice, AC Mohan, Secretary, Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Millers and Paddy Rice Dealers Association, points out that plastic melts when heated and can be easily identified while cooking. Also, plastic is costlier at ₹100/kg than the rice typically used for daily consumption.

Engineering students Bhavishanth and Dhananchezhiyan are among the few who dismiss the plastic rice as a rumour. However, many are unsure.

A Akshitha, a 22-year-old architect, says: “Till somebody convinces me that plastic rice actually doesn’t exist, there is a cause for concern.”

Possibly, only a WhatsApp or Facebook denial can convince this set.

(The author is an intern with BusinessLine)

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