Fake rice an issue of life and death

Deadly grain: Sundry stall owners are saying that it would be hard to differentiate fake rice from normal rice.

SOCIAL media reports of the existence of “fake rice” in some Asian countries have set off alarm bells against the entry of the staple laced with poisonous resin into their shores.

The Straits Times of Singapore has reported that plastic rice, made from potatoes and sweet potatoes with synthetic resin molded into the shape of real rice, is said to have made its way into countries with large rural populations, such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam.