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[av_heading heading=’ ‘No fake rice in Bacolod markets’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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Friday, June 23, 2017
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BACOLOD City – City hall has not monitored any presence of fake rice in the metro.
No complaint pertaining to the sale and/or consumption of fake rice has reached the city government, said Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda, head of the Market Coordinating and Monitoring Task Force.
Pineda assured that they are monitoring markets every day.
According to Pineda, his task force would know right away if fake rice is being sold in the city.
Complaint desks are stationed at the Libertad, Burgos and Central public markets, he noted.
Anyone who suspects they have bought fake rice may report to the task force at the old city hall building on corner Luzuriaga-Araneta streets, said Pineda.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has asked the National Food Authority (NFA) in the city to step up its monitoring of rice sold in the markets.
City councilors passed a resolution making the request in light of social media posts showing rice-looking pieces of plastic.
Claudio Jesus Puentevella, author of the resolution, stressed that any fake food in the local markets would be “very alarming.”
Meanwhile the NFA Negros Occidental also said there is no fake rice in the province.
Provincial Manager Marianito Bejemino said they are monitoring the price, supply and quality of rice in the markets every week.
“Current rice supply in the province is sufficient so there is no basis for retailers and traders to formulate any kind of artificial or fake rice,” he said.
Still, Bejemino said he directed their monitoring team to intensify their operations.
Retailers and traders involved in hoarding, diverting and adulterating rice will be penalized, the NFA official warned.
Adulteration happens when NFA rice is mixed with commercial rice and sold as commercial rice. Diversion, on the other hand, means selling NFA rice in wholesale instead of distributing it to retail outlets. (With PNA/PN)
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