REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government must improve its trade system to prevent the entry of synthetic rice into the country, Director General of Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products Yusni Emilia said.

"We need to improve the system to ensure food security. The rice trade system must be improved, while we need to investigate the origin and motive behind the (circulation of) synthetic rice, at the same time," Emilia stated during a discussion on the polemics over the synthetic rice case here on Saturday.

The director general added that the government should improve the registration of rice brands, as well as the design, packaging and location of packaging to make it easy to carry out investigations when a problem is encountered.

Regarding supervision, Emilia pointed out that the primary task of the Ministry of Agriculture in this context is to ensure the security of rice, right from the selection of seeds to absorption by the people.

"The main task of the Ministry of Agriculture with regard to rice plantation is to ensure the security of rice seeds, pesticides and fertilizers. It should be based on what we call good agricultural practices," she remarked.

In post-harvest management, the milling and packaging of the commodity should be supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture so consumers feel confident about their safety.

It was reported earlier that local authorities were investigating the suspected circulation of synthetic rice. The case sparked widespread uproar following reports on the discovery of plastic substances in rice that caused nausea and dizziness among consumers in Bekasi, West Java.

The Directorate General of Standardization and Consumer Protection of the Ministry of Trade has conducted an investigation after the Bantargebang Police of Bekasi, West Java, found the suspected fake rice.

The reports have created uproar across the country, triggering panic among residents who fear that the rice they consumed had contained plastic and could affect their health.

"We found the suspected synthetic rice in Bekasi but have not obtained information on the origin of the commodity," Widodo noted.

He explained that if it is proven that the rice is synthetic and had been circulated in the open market, it can be ascertained that it had been imported illegally.

This is a crime that is punishable under the food law.

The synthetic rice issue emerged when Dewi Septiani, a resident of Bekasi, West Java, reported it and uploaded a photograph of the suspected synthetic rice on a social media platform.

When she tried to cook the rice she bought at a market in Bekasi on May 13, she found anomalies as the rice could not be cooked and smelled different.

"The rice looked different, as well. Original rice has streaks, whereas the synthetic one is plain," she pointed out.

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