China makes fake rice from plastic: report
A worker displays a handful of rice at a market in Hefei, Anhui province November 27, 2009. China, the world's largest rice producer and consumer, has approved a locally-developed strain of genetically-modified rice, paving the way for large-scale production in 2 to 3 years, Chinese scientists said on Friday. REUTERS

China allegedly makes fake rice, reported The Korea Times, a reputable English-language newspaper in Korea on January 20, 2011.

The original source is a report obtained by Singapore media, said The Korea Times.

Allegedly, some Chinese companies produce fake rice by mixing in plastic. This fake rice is then massively sold on the Chinese market.

Fake rice sold in Taiyuan, Shaanxi is made from a mixture of potatoes, sweet potatoes, and plastic, according to the report.

The Korea Times said while officials warn that eating fake rice is obviously dangerous to human health, merchants still sell it in mass quantity because it's highly profitable.

China has a history of making fake food items.

The Global Times reported in July 2010 that a company in Xi'an, Shaanxi makes a fake version of the expensive Wuchang rice by adding flavoring to ordinary rice.

The most infamous example of China's food abuses is the 2008 milk scandal, in which companies adulterated infant formula with melamine and caused the death of at least 6 infants.

Consumer Protection Law China