Alexei Volkov
China is a manufacturing giant, producing a wide range of products, some of which are dangerous. Since 2010, there have been persistent rumours on social media that Chinese manufacturers are making fake rice out of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plastic. This plastic rice is said to be mixed in with real rice and exported to other countries. While there have been no confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic rice, the rumour has caused quite an uproar, with governments and food safety authorities addressing it. China has indeed been at the centre of several food scandals, including the sale of tainted milk and the use of cardboard in street food.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fake food made in China | Plastic rice, wax cabbage, fake ginseng, fake wine, fake walnuts, rat meat sold as beef, fensi noodles, milk powder laced with melamine, rice noodles made with rotten grain and poisonous additives, cardboard stuffed pork buns |
| Fake food myths | Fensi noodles and seaweed made from plastic, eating chicken infected with bird flu, eating crab and persimmon at the same time, eating seafood with vitamin C |
| Fake food scandals | Plastic rice, wax cabbage, poisonous drywall, tainted milk, tainted rice noodles, tainted milk, tainted street food |
| Fake food dangers | Plastic rice causes gastritis and harms the digestive system, industrial salt can cause heart attacks or strokes, fake ginseng may contain up to 70% sugar |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic rice
Since 2010, rumours have circulated on social media that Chinese manufacturers are making plastic rice. The claims suggest that the rice is made from potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plastic, and is then exported and mixed with the real rice supply. However, there is little evidence that this is a widespread problem.
In 2011, publications such as Raw Story and The Mary Sue reported on the plastic rice controversy, noting that these claims were not substantiated. One online publication, Very Vietnam, alleged that some Chinese food producers were creating synthetic rice. According to the Korean Times, certain rice factories in China have been producing a "fake rice substitute" in place of the more expensive Wuchang rice, for greater profit. The substitute is made from potatoes, sweet potatoes, and synthetic resin (plastic), and is sprayed with a fragrance to mimic the smell of Wuchang rice. Consuming this "plastic rice" is considered extremely harmful and toxic.
The rumours were further fuelled by viral videos showing people bouncing rice balls, and some also purported to show how the rice is made in factories. However, Alexander Waugh, director of the Rice Association, a UK-based industry group, stated that while the videos may be authentic, rice—when prepared in a certain way—can bounce due to its natural characteristics of carbohydrates and proteins. He also noted that it would be more expensive and time-consuming to create rice-shaped plastic pieces to add to regular rice.
The plastic rice rumour is particularly popular in countries dependent on imported rice, such as Ivory Coast and Senegal, and has even compelled governments to make statements addressing the rumours. While there may not be widespread evidence of plastic rice, it is important to note that the consumption of microplastics in rice is a concern. According to research by the University of Queensland, people are consuming three to four milligrams of plastic for every 100 grams of rice, with the number jumping to 13 milligrams per serve for instant rice. The researchers tested for seven different plastic types, including polyethylene, polystyrene, and acrylics. They also found that washing rice before cooking reduced plastic contamination by 20 to 40 per cent.
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Fake ginseng
While there is no evidence that Chinese manufacturers are making food from plastic, there have been several reports and rumours circulating on social media since 2010 about plastic rice being manufactured in China. These rumours were further fuelled by videos showing people bouncing rice balls, which purportedly demonstrated how the rice was made in factories. However, these rumours have been largely debunked, and no confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic chips being passed off as rice have been found. The "plastic rice" in these videos is likely made from ordinary rice, which can be made to bounce when prepared in a certain way.
In addition to the plastic rice rumours, there have also been reports of other fake or tainted food products originating from China, such as wax cabbage and poisonous drywall. One such example is the fake ginseng scandal, where retailers were found to be boiling ginseng roots in sugar to make them more dense and increase their profit margins. Korean ginseng, a rare and sought-after variety in China, is also often faked by retailers who rub an ointment on regular ginseng to pass it off as the more expensive variant. These practices can be harmful to consumers, as they may unknowingly ingest substances that are unsafe for consumption and can impact their health negatively.
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Industrial salt
Since 2010, rumours have circulated on social media that Chinese manufacturers are making plastic rice. These rumours were prompted by previous "fake rice" scandals, where companies passed off ordinary rice as premium "Wuchang" grains. In 2011, reports emerged that some Chinese companies were producing rice made with potatoes, sweet potatoes, and industrial sticky resin. This "plastic rice" was also said to be toxic and harmful to health, with some reports claiming that consuming it was like eating a plastic bag. However, there were never any confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic chips being sold as rice. The videos that fuelled these rumours may have been of display food or rice being prepared in a way that made it bounce.
Now, let's turn our attention to industrial salt. Salt, or sodium chloride, is an essential ingredient in numerous industrial processes and has over 14,000 different uses. It is used in water softening systems, oilfield drilling, concrete, leather tanning, and even in the manufacture of glass, paper, plastic, rubber, textiles, dyes, leather, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Industrial salt products are known for their purity and quality, and they play a vital role in maintaining mineral balance in animal feed. Additionally, during cold weather, de-icing salts are used to melt ice on roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and driveways.
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Rotten rice noodles
Since 2010, rumours have circulated on social media that Chinese manufacturers are making plastic rice. These rumours were prompted by "fake rice" scandals, where companies passed off ordinary rice as premium "Wuchang" grains. In 2011, reports emerged that some Chinese food producers were creating synthetic rice out of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plastic, bound together with industrial resin. This synthetic rice was cheaper to produce and, allegedly, extremely harmful to human health. A Chinese Restaurant Association official claimed that eating three bowls of this fake rice was the equivalent of eating one plastic bag.
These rumours were further fuelled by viral videos showing people bouncing rice balls, which some claimed demonstrated the presence of plastic in rice. However, these rumours have been largely debunked. While some confiscated rice in Africa was initially claimed to be plastic, these claims were later retracted, and no confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic chips being passed off as rice have been found. The videos are likely authentic, but due to the natural characteristics of rice, which is high in carbohydrates and proteins, rice can be made to bounce with the right preparation. Furthermore, it would be more expensive and time-consuming to create rice-shaped plastic pieces to add to regular rice, making this an unlikely scheme. While there is no widespread problem of plastic rice, the persistence of these rumours has led governments in affected countries, such as Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Ghana, to address them directly and reassure the public that the rumours are false.
Now, while there is no evidence of plastic rice, there have been some food safety incidents originating in China, such as the production of "fake rice noodles" or "cellophane noodles". These noodles are transparent and made from starches such as mung bean, potato, sweet potato, tapioca, or canna starch, and water. They are generally sold dried and then soaked and used in soups, stir-fries, or spring rolls. While these noodles are not made of plastic, they can be confused with rice vermicelli, which is made from rice and is white in colour.
Therefore, while there is no evidence of Chinese manufacturers making food from plastic, there have been instances of food fraud, such as the production of fake rice noodles and the passing off of ordinary rice as premium grains. These incidents can have harmful consequences for consumers and lead to distrust in imported food products.
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Fake wine
While there is no clear evidence that the Chinese are making food from plastic, rumours have been circulating since 2010 that Chinese manufacturers are making plastic rice. These rumours were prompted by a 'fake rice' scandal, where companies were passing off ordinary rice as premium "Wuchang" grains. In 2011, reports emerged that rice was being produced with potatoes and an industrial sticky resin. However, at no point were there confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic chips being passed off as rice.
Now, let's turn our attention to fake wine in China. Asia, and China in particular, has witnessed a surge in demand for wine, with Asian buyers accounting for about 60% of all wine sold worldwide at Sotheby auctions in 2010. This increased demand has resulted in a proliferation of counterfeit wines, with China facing an epidemic of counterfeit and contraband wine. The Interprofessional Council of Bordeaux Wine estimates that a staggering 30,000 bottles of fake imported wine are sold every hour in China.
The most common types of wine fraud involve adulteration and relabelling. Empty bottles from prestigious producers, such as Chateau Lafite, are highly sought-after on the black market, fetching up to $1,000 each. These bottles are then refilled with inferior wines and resold to unsuspecting buyers. Additionally, cheap imitations and copycat knockoffs abound, with similar brand names like "Mouton & Sons" or "Edouard Mouton" popping up in the Chinese market.
To make matters worse, harmful chemicals and sweeteners are sometimes added to manipulate low-end wines. Colouring agents, such as elderberry juice, are used to enhance desirable characteristics like a deep maroon colour. The problem has become so pervasive that elite winemakers are implementing anti-counterfeiting measures, including bottle buyback programs, tamper-proof caps, and covert tagging of bottles.
The obsession with prestigious labels and the high prices they command drive the market for fake wines in China. As Maggie Wang, a Beijing resident, observed, "For a lot of Chinese consumers, the more expensive it is, the more they'll buy it. Chinese like things like that—they'll buy the most expensive house, drive the most expensive car. They don't want the best, they want the most expensive."
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Frequently asked questions
There have been several rumours and reports of Chinese food producers creating synthetic rice out of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plastic. However, there have been no confirmed cases of large amounts of plastic chips being passed off as rice.
The "rice" is made by mixing potato material with plastic and shaping it into grains. Then, an industrial resin is added as a binding agent.
Yes, consuming plastic rice is extremely harmful and toxic to one's health. A Chinese official warned that eating three bowls of this man-made rice is equivalent to ingesting one plastic bag.
The obvious motivation behind producing plastic rice is monetary gain, as synthetic rice is cheaper to produce than real rice.
China has been involved in several food scandals, including tainted milk, fake ginseng, and rat meat being sold as beef.
