Food Technology Expert IPB: Plastic Rice Is Hoax And Doesn't Make Sense

Illustration of rice (ANTARA)

BOGOR - Responding to the issue of plastic rice which is becoming a topic of conversation, Food Technology Expert IPB University, Prof. Slamet Budijanto said that what has been claimed so far as plastic rice is a hoax. In fact, even if plastic rice exists, it doesn't make sense. As a researcher, I can confirm that what is claimed to be plastic rice is a hoax.' It is a plastic grain, not rice, said Slamet in his statement, Friday, October 13. Professor of Science and Food Technology IPB University emphasized, it should be that the term plastic rice does not exist. So far there has been a plastic seed, its shape can vary, including it can resemble rice. The viral one is actually a plastic seed, but given the name plastic rice.'' So it is not rice,' he stressed. According to him, if anyone makes rice products from plastic, it makes no sense. Because, to make plastic seeds requires production costs that are much more expensive than the current price of rice selling. He said, the price of one kilogram of plastic seeds from recycled products (recycles) alone has reached Rp. 20,000. More expensive than premium rice even though the current price range is Rp. 15,000. You imagine, premium rice alone is at most Rp 12,000 to Rp 15,000. If the plastic recycle results are then formed like rice, how much are they want to be sold? This is clearly unreasonable,''' clear. In some cases, in making analogous rice using monosteal glyryn (GMS) which is a palm derivative product (GMS). Some researchers call it a plasticizer''' which serves to be less sticky and more compact in its analogous rice product. It could be that this term is misinterpreted as plastic. If yes, this erroneous perception must be straightened out,''' The message, such an incident could serve as a lesson so that the public is more thorough and critical in responding to an issue. Moreover, in the current era of information flooding, thinking critically is an important modal in sorting out whether or not a news is true.

"So, in this era of information disclosure, our knowledge must be strengthened, so that if there is an issue like this, we are not consumed by hoax news. Without sufficient knowledge, we will not be able to filter out which information is correct and which is wrong, make sense or not. Because of that critical thinking is important, "said the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Technology (Fateta) IPB University. Prof. Slamet itself is the figure behind the innovation of analog rice. The rice made is made from raw instead of rice, but from various other food sources such as corn, sweet potatoes, taro, sorghum and others. Although not from rice, analogous rice can actually be an alternative food other than rice and has a myriad of health benefits.