Still no sign of 'plastic rice'

With more than 50 samples now tested by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries is maintaining that there is no evidence of so-called plastic rice in the local market.

In a statement late Saturday night, the ministry said that "there is no indication of contamination in the 55 samples of rice that it has tested to date".

The ministry said samples of both cooked and uncooked rice were collected from nine different locations across the island, including a quantity taken from a complainant who appeared in a television news report aired on December 16.

Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Karl Samuda said that testing for any evidence of plastic rice would continue.

"Once again, I would like to categorically state that there has been absolutely no evidence to support the notion that rice on the local market has been contaminated by plastic," Samuda said.

"As we have seen from the test results, there is absolutely no reason to cause panic. We are monitoring the situation closely. Several agencies are involved in the Government's response to this potential threat, and we are doing everything we can to protect consumers."