Last week, Nigerian officials seized over 100 bags of what was claimed to be plastic rice. Lab tests have since shown the product isn’t fake, as Gizmodo and other outlets reported. But it is badly contaminated rice that’s unsafe for human consumption. The incident is casting light on the sorry state of the economy and food production in Nigeria—along with a government that’s anxious to deflect the blame elsewhere.
To recap, Nigerian customs officials recently seized over 100 bags of rice in the Ikeja district of Lagos, each weighing about 55 pounds (25 kg). A preliminary analysis suggested the rice was made from plastic, and a suspect was arrested in connection with the apparent scheme.
Following more thorough lab tests, Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says the suspected fake rice is not plastic, but rice contaminated with microorganisms. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, a senior official with the NAFDAC said levels of bacteria, including Coliform, found within the rice were “above permissible limits,” and that the product was unsuitable for human consumption. On its own, this bacteria isn’t usually harmful, but its presence is an indicator of other contaminants, such as microorganisms that dwell in fecal matter, disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Full story...
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To recap, Nigerian customs officials recently seized over 100 bags of rice in the Ikeja district of Lagos, each weighing about 55 pounds (25 kg). A preliminary analysis suggested the rice was made from plastic, and a suspect was arrested in connection with the apparent scheme.
Following more thorough lab tests, Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says the suspected fake rice is not plastic, but rice contaminated with microorganisms. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, a senior official with the NAFDAC said levels of bacteria, including Coliform, found within the rice were “above permissible limits,” and that the product was unsuitable for human consumption. On its own, this bacteria isn’t usually harmful, but its presence is an indicator of other contaminants, such as microorganisms that dwell in fecal matter, disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Full story...
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