(ECNS) -- The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria (NAFDAC) said that "suspected fake rice" seized in the country is not actually plastic.
Yetunde Oni, acting director-general of the agency, said preliminary analysis of the product found no information about the NAFDAC number, batch number or details about the producer.
Oni explained that no plastic rice was imported into the country, but noted the seized product was "contaminated with microorganisms above the permissible limit."
The BBC reported that the source of the rice is currently unclear, though plastic rice was spotted in China last year. Some media outlets speculated the case might be related to the latter.
More than 40,000 bags of rice seized by Nigerian Customs Service have been distributed at camps for internally displaced persons, said an official from the service.
Officials said Nigeria will tighten supervision to ensure food safety in the country.
