Sale of plastic edibles a mere rumour, says health minister

Health and Family Welfare Minister K R Ramesh Kumar on Monday denied that plastic rice, sugar, ragi and eggs have flooded the market and there were laboratory reports to substantiate the same.

Replying to queries by Ganesh Karnik and Ragunathrao Malkapure (both BJP) in the Legislative Council, the minister said, “It is all rumours. Plastic rice or eggs are not being sold in the market. Unnecessary panic is being created. The public should not pay heed to such rumours,” he said.

The minister said that following reports of plastic food being sold in the market, 208 samples of sugar, 180 samples of rice, eight eggs, 12 samples of ragi  from across the state were sent to various laboratories for testing. “No traces of plastic were found in any of the samples,” Kumar said.

He said it takes Rs 200 to manufacture one kg of plastic rice. “When rice is available at Rs 40 per kg why will anyone manufacture plastic rice and sell it in the market?” the minister asked. He also said no case has been registered with regard to the sale of plastic rice or eggs.

K T Srikante Gowda (JD-S) said that four people had been admitted to a government hospital in KR Pet in Mandya district after consuming “plastic eggs”. The minister said he will seek a report from the hospital.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader said reports of plastic rice being supplied through the public distribution system are baseless. He said there is no scope for adulteration of rice supplied through fair price shops in the state as it is procured directly through Food Corporation of India.