China Makes Fake Rice from Plastic?

China Makes Fake Rice from Plastic? Vietnam Reacts : Very Vietnam
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A number of Chinese companies have been involved over the years in various scandals involving fake or tainted goods. Perhaps the most dangerous of all involve food, including the now famous 2008 milk scandal in which Chinese-made milk was found to contain the toxin melamine. The end result was 290,000 victims who fell ill and 11 suspected cases of death. Now there are reports from Singapore media that China is mass producing fake rice, which can be potentially very dangerous.
According to the Korean-language “Weekly Hong Kong” (which many Vietnam websites are referencing as well), Singapore media claim that fake rice is being distributed in the Chinese town of Taiyuan, in Shaanxi province. This “rice” is a mix of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plastic. It is formed by mixing the potatoes and sweet potatoes into the shape of rice grains, then adding industrial synthetic resins. Since the rice does not behave like normal rice, it stays hard even after it has been cooked. Such synthetic resins can also be very harmful if consumed.
A Chinese Restaurant Association official said that eating three bowls of this fake rice would be like eating one plastic bag. Due to the seriousness of the matter, he added that there would be an investigation of factories alleged to be producing the rice. Meanwhile, the low cost of the fake rice is allowing wholesalers to make large profits....
also see: (January 14 news)

The latest test on spice samples in Ho Chi Minh City has showed that some of them carried a carcinogenic substance, the Department of Health announced at press conference Thursday.
According to the department’s Food Safety and Hygiene Division, samples of 26 products like dried chili, watermelon seeds, chili sauce and curry powder. They were taken from different supermarkets and markets across the city between last December 20 and this January 6.three of the samples were found containing rhodamine an industrial dye.