JEDDAH - Rice consumers are being taken for a ride with the widespread adulteration of high quality varieties, especially basmati, dealers said yesterday. Some of them say that authorities have been apprized of the menace of adulteration, which seems to be growing in this part of the world.
Food watchdogs plan action to stop basmati rice cheats -- companies that mislead unwitting consumers by mixing the fragrant strain from the Himalayan foothills with other long-grain alternatives.
DNA tests can tell the difference between rice varieties. "DNA identification technology is now being applied to investigate a new form of crime -- food fraud," Sunil Bhanji of Dubai-based Tilda International Ltd. told Arab News over the weekend.
Saudi Arabia imports 600,000 to 650,000 tons of basmati rice annually, one of the biggest consumers of the high quality rice.
"The meeting of science and innovation can achieve surprising breakthroughs," Bhanji said. "Rice is not just a staple, but also a major cultural anchor. No meal, be it a Saudi household, a subcontinental or Far Eastern one, is complete without rice. Given the demand and the consumer's willingness to pay a rice premium for superior grades, the Kingdom has become a happy hunting ground for food fraudsters," he added.
A recent survey using DNA technology conducted by Ricesearch revealed nearly 40 percent of the so-called basmati rice sold in the Kingdom's retail market is adulterated with inferior quality grains. "Not only does this practice shortchange consumers when they pay a premium, but actually affects the quality of the food they prepare," he said. The survey shows that barely 61 percent of the basmati rice sold here has been found unadulterated.
It is hardly surprising that "food fraud," as the practice is called in the UK, is alarmingly prevalent in the Kingdom. It is around a $50 million hoax on the consumer, he added.
In the survey, 30 percent of the samples failed to meet food standards prevailing in the UK and 15 percent of the samples failed to meet the lowest standards prevailing in India and Pakistan.
Even more shocking is the revelation that over 12 percent of the samples, drawn from the market, had adulteration levels of over 50 percent and in some cases as high as 80 percent. Less than 10 percent of the samples were pure traditional basmati and over 34 percent had complex mixes of three or more varieties, which can result in very inconsistent cooking results.
"The adulteration of basmati with inferior grains will always be a risk for buyers for as long as true basmati continues to command a premium of two to three times the price of other long grain rice varieties," Abdul Karim Alghamdi, a rice trader in downtown Balad, said.
Inquiries at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry show that its food committee is aware of the problem, especially related to basmati, and steps are being taken to tackle the issue. Similar checks in the past found substantial mixing of varieties in products claiming to be basmati.
All official agencies related to quality control, including Saudi Arabian Standards Organization, aim to safeguard the rice strains grown in northwest India and Pakistan against adulteration. These have a distinctive aroma and characteristic elongated grain when cooked.
Basmati is a term used to refer to 11 Indian and five Pakistani rice with these properties, although the list might expand if new types conforming to the criteria came on to the market.
"Local authorities might also use the guidance in future as a basis to take legal action against companies for alleged breaking of labeling rules," Karim Algani, supervisor at a major supermarket, said. "On its part, Tilda, a market leader in rice category, aims to protect the interests of the consumer and provide both consumers and the trade wit a reliable tool to monitor and ensure purity," Manar Al-Baroudi of Tilda's Jeddah liaison office, said.
There is concern in some parts of the food industry that the approved list of basmati rice is too long and includes hybrids, therefore lowering standards.
High-quality aromatic basmati has traditionally been exported from India to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, European Union countries and the United States.
By K.S. Ramkumar
© Arab News 2007
