Identification of plastic rice in adulterated raw and cooked rice

In the present study, attempts have been made to identify the presence of plastic rice in adulterated raw and cooked rice by comparing the compositional and morphological properties of fake rice and real rice using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. Various rice samples from the national capital region of India were studied for their compositional and morphological properties. The surface morphology of real rice and plastic rice was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Results suggest that plastic rice used as an adulterant in raw or cooked rice is made up of polystyrene, which is a well-known toxic chemical entity. The studies suggest that these techniques can be used as a scientific tool to detect and identify the presence of plastic rice in adulterated raw and cooked rice.