MANILA, Philippines — A Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) monitoring exercise has uncovered potential mislabeling practices in rice sold in urban markets, according to the Department of Agriculture.
The DA said this raised concerns that some traders may be passing off imported rice as higher-priced local varieties to exploit price differentials in the retail market.
In a June 11 report submitted to the DA’s Inspectorate and Enforcement and Legal Service units, the BPI’s Plant Product Safety Services Division detailed rice quality analyses conducted on six milled rice samples collected from Commonwealth Market in Quezon City and Cogon Market in Cagayan de Oro City.
The report was signed by BPI director Gerald Glenn Panganiban.
The agency found inconsistencies between declared origin and classification results, pointing to possible misrepresentation in retail rice labeling.
Of the six samples tested, three were consistent with their declared local origin.
However, one sample labeled as locally sourced showed characteristics more closely aligned with imported rice under the classification model, raising concerns over potential substitution or relabeling along the supply chain.
Two imported rice samples from the Commonwealth Market were correctly identified as imported and classified as Premium and Grade 1, respectively, reflecting compliance with milling quality standards, particularly in lower broken grain content.
The BPI said the findings suggest a widening gap in quality and pricing dynamics, where imported rice, often cheaper at wholesale, may be repackaged or mislabeled as local rice to command higher retail prices.
The BPI said the results highlight the need for stricter enforcement of labeling rules and tighter market surveillance to protect consumers from possible deceptive trade practices.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. called for verification measures, emphasizing the need to safeguard consumers amid irregularities in rice trading practices.
“We need to ensure that consumers are not being shortchanged by unscrupulous rice traders,” Tiu Laurel said.