Plastic food: "plastic rice and eggs are being sold".
As forwarded
"Look how this rice bounces like a ball. It is plastic!"
Circulates as videos of rice balls and peeled eggs. Specific Indian version with URL and reach: not available. Reach not available
Verdict
India's food regulator calls plastic rice and plastic eggs hoaxes: rice is mostly starch, which can bounce when rolled into a ball, and eggs change with age and storage.
What the evidence says
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) lists plastic rice, plastic eggs and similar videos among food hoaxes. Cooked rice is mostly starch: pressed into a ball, it traps air and bounces, so bouncing is ruled out as a sign of plastic. [S1]
FSSAI's 2018 guidance note on eggs calls plastic eggs a myth: there is no technology to make an egg that resembles a natural one, and it would cost far more than a real egg. Changes in texture and smell come from age and storage. [S2]
Some rice now sold, including through government schemes, is fortified: a small share of nutrient-added kernels is blended in, and these can look slightly different from other grains. They are food, not plastic. [S1]
How this verdict was reached
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The forward
Taken exactly as it circulates, not as a summary of it.
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The evidence
2 sources from the four tiers, strongest first.
- Tier 2 · 2
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The line
Nothing below tier 4 is counted; every source here is graded.
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The verdict
Unsupported Every evidence sentence above links to its source. Not reviewed by a doctor; a sourced guide, not medical advice.
What to do instead
Do not throw away rice because a few grains look different; they may be fortified rice.
If you genuinely suspect adulterated food, keep the packet and the bill and report it to your local food safety officer or through FSSAI's consumer complaint channel. [S1]
Check eggs for freshness and store them cool; old eggs change in smell and texture. [S2]
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Sources
- S1Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Myth buster.Tier 2 regulator
fssai.gov.in/cms/myth-buster.php - S2FSSAI. Guidance note on quality and safety of eggs: dispelling the myth about plastic eggs (as reported in FSSAI media archive).Tier 2 regulator
fssai.gov.in/upload/media/FSSAI_News_Eggs_FNB_14_08_2018.pdf
Tiers are as graded in the research file; where the file left a source ungraded, the editor graded it against the four tiers. "Circulation only" sources document that a claim circulates and are never cited as evidence. Where a primary paper could not be opened, the page says so in the Honest note.
Reviewed by
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