In today’s world, food fraud is sadly a real issue – and plastic rice has made headlines multiple times in various countries. Although it’s rare and often part of rumors or isolated incidents, knowing how to detect fake or adulterated rice can give you peace of mind, especially when sourcing from unknown suppliers or buying in bulk.

Here’s an up-to-date, 2025 guide with 6 simple and practical tests you can do at home to identify plastic rice.

🚨 What Is Plastic Rice?

Plastic rice refers to synthetic grains made to look like real rice, often using industrial polymers like PVC or plastic resin. These fakes are sometimes mixed with real rice to cut costs – but they’re dangerous for human consumption and can cause serious health issues like digestion problems, hormonal disruption, or even toxicity with long-term exposure.

✅ 6 Steps to Identify Plastic Rice at Home

1. The Water Test (Float Test)

What to do:
Take a tablespoon of dry rice and drop it into a glass of water. Stir it well.

What to look for:
Real rice will sink to the bottom, while plastic rice will float due to its lighter weight.

⚠️ Note: Some real low-quality rice can also float due to trapped air. Use this test alongside others.

2. The Fire Test

What to do:

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