The Ministry of Commerce has advised customers looking to purchase genuine Hom Mali rice from Thailand to look for certification branding on the package. This recommendation came in response to a report on fake Hom Mali rice coming from China.
The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) has advised consumers to look for certification branding on the packages for quality assurance. Recent reports have warned of Chinese imitations of Hom Mali rice, whereby manufacturers sell rice of other origins processed with flavor enhancers.
DFT Director General Ronnarong Phoolpipat said three manufacturers have already been found producing imitated Hom Mali rice, after which they were shut down by Chinese authorities.
Ronnarong said the damage to the reputation of Thai rice from these imitation products has yet to be determined.
Thailand’s trade promotion offices in China will conduct more frequent inspections against imitated products, as well as work to raise awareness among Chinese customers on the quality assurance branding for items originating from Thailand. (NNT)
