Four arrested for allegedly selling fake basmati rice to UK customers
Many British, a curry served with a pile of fluffy white basmati rice, the sensitive aroma that balances the temperature of the food. But very few stand to think about the long journey of grain. He matured in silos for one year before being sent to England collectively through the paddy fields of India and Pakistan, through regional markets and rice mills.
Then it passes through one of the 16 processing areas of the country before reaching the supermarket shelves. Britain imports approximately 250,000 tons of pressure rice each year – this makes it one of the largest markets in the world.
This summer, consumers took a look at what would happen when this supply chain went upside down. Four people were arrested after seeing that inspectors were mentioned as a well -known Basmati brand.
The National Food Criminal Unit revealed fraud when the tests show the wrong type of rice in the premium brand packages. The operation began in Leicester and arrested a man suspected of re -packing the ordinary rice in the ordinary rice fake bags. He watched three more arrests in London.
Basmati is a prestigious grain for a rewarded for hazelnut aroma and popcorn -like aroma. It is located on the top of the private rice market with Jasmine from Arborio, Thailand and Italy. Shopers expect quality when they buy a package of basmati. If it falls short, they may feel deceived and think twice to buy this brand again.
To prevent this, the UK operates strict rules in accordance with Basmati application rules. The code determines which varieties can be called legally printy, how these can be blended, and which non -malicious grain is tolerated.
In one package, there should be no more than 7% of another rice type. A figure that decreased from 20% twenty years ago, but in large mills, a figure that cannot be further reduced due to the realities of handling multiple varieties.
This code was accepted by the Rice Association and the British Retail Association and is valid throughout Europe. When the exporters in India and Pakistan develop new types of basmati, samples are sent to the Rice Association in London for approval.
DNA test is an important tool in the application of these rules. Each cereal carries a genetic fingerprint that can verify if it belongs to one of the approved basmati types.
Public analyst laboratories regularly test posts entering the UK and the EU. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) conducts an annual survey of annual products purchased randomly from retailers.
The current DNA test for Basmati authentication was developed in cooperation with my colleagues and Bangor University, FSA and public analysts.
About the author
Katherine Steele is a senior lecturer in sustainable product production at the University of Bangor.
This article was first published by the speech and re -published under the Creative Commons license. Read original article
We profile hundreds of rice varieties and continued to develop the markers used to describe basmati. Before the method was approved, our team performed blind result tests from added grain mixtures among different laboratories to provide reliable results.
A century -old problem with modern costs
Food fraud is nothing new. For centuries, unscrupulous merchants have replaced cheaper goods or wrongly labeled products.
Rice exchange is still important, although it is less harmful without mixing food with toxic substances. Consumers are deceived, brands are experiencing reputation damage and companies playing according to the rules are losing. Bets are high, because the UK rice industry is close to £ 1 billion per year.
Cereals have a security deficit points each time they pass from one merchant to another. We cannot assume that everything is abroad. Economic pressures may be even worse. As you experience Britain’s stagnant economic growth, food crime opportunities may be increasing.
The identification of fraud is easier to define DNA test using it more than inserting known varieties into the food chain. Some of the less well -known rice brands sold in the UK are likely to contain varieties that are not listed in Basmati application rules. They can easily shift from the DNA test, because complex mixtures can be made to include all correct molecular signatures.
However, the food sold in the UK are among the most closely organized in the world due to the work done by FSA. The National Food Criminal Unit is led by the fight against food crime, as exemplified by the last case of Fake Basmati, but consumers should be awake because they are still fraudsters. This may include careful against poor printed packaging labels, spelling, broken seals and unusual pricing. Because if the price looks too good to be right, it’s probably.
