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The National Food Authority (NFA) provided the following tips for consumers when buying milled rice:
First, make sure to buy only from NFA-licensed retailers, which are found in designated public market, groceries, supermarkets, and NFA accredited outlets. Licensed stores display the full name of the retailer and their accreditation number.
Second, the NFA imports rice that are long-grained and white. (The Davao sample was yellowish.)
Third, NFA rice is not too white, too round, uniform in shape and size, nor shiny. If so, the grains are manufactured or machine-made.
Fourth, NFA rice does not smell of plastic. When cooked, consumers should not find a layer of plastic above the rice.
And fifth, avoid rice that weighs less than usual at a given volume. The grains should not be too hard and should break easily.
To facilitate the investigation of suspected fake rice, the NFA called on the public to provide a sample of at least one kilo of uncooked grains aside from information of when, where and from whom it was bought.
Complaints may also be made through NFA’s Bantay Bigas hotline at 0906-4363133.