NFA sets just 4 labels for rice

Retailers will be required to sell four  varieties of rice labelled only as "regular-milled", "well-milled", "whole grain" and "special" starting November, according to the National Food Authority (NFA).

The Department of Agriculture (DA) set the official labels to end the practice of "branding" among retailers, according to a report on Wednesday's "24 Oras" by Ivan Mayrina.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol explained that, as the price of rice is different per variety, a retailer would earn more by deceiving the consumer into thinking it was of a specific brand.

"It actually boils down to deception and mislabeling," the DA chief said. "While it is not really dinorado, why label it dinorado so that you can sell if for a higher price?"

Aside from profiteers who wrongfully sell rice under different labels, Piñol said they will be going after retailers who selling rice beyond the suggested retail prices (SRP).

Roland Gomez, who heads the NFA's quality assurance division, explained that the SRP for each variety is based on the milling degree which indicates how much of the bran is removed from the grain.

"'Yung mga palay, babalatan 'yun. Lablabas du'n is brown rice and then after that, ipo-polish mo. Ang tinatanggal mo du'n 'yung darak so ang milling degree is the extent of bran removal so regular milled ang kanyang milling degree," he said.

To help buyers spot the difference for themselves, Gomez pointed out that well-milled rice appears whiter compared to regular-milled rice, which costs up to P2 less.

"'Pag kinompare natin ang dalawa, mas marami ang natatanggal na bran diyan kaya mas maputi siya," he said.

Whole grain, which still consists of about 95 percent of the grain, is the second most expensive variety next to "special" rice.

A list of products to be classified as "special rice" has yet to be released by the food authority.

Consumers interviewed on the report admitted to having a hard time telling different rice varieties apart, like Leoncio Lim who usually takes the retailer's word.

"Tayo, mga layman, 'di rin natin alam" he said. "'Di ba kung ano sinabi niya naniwala tayo mabuti kung totoo nga sinabi nila kung hindi parang nagogoyo tayo. —Margaret Claire Layug/JST, GMA News