Chemical found in fake rice bad even for rats
A toxics watchdog warned that the chemical found in fake rice – dibutyl phthalate (DBP) – has long been banned in production of cosmetics and toys and had even yielded negative results when this was tested on rats.
“We are deeply alarmed by the discovery of toxic DBP in synthetic rice that has reportedly penetrated the local market, particularly in the south,” said Sonia Mendoza, a retired chemist and EcoWaste president.
The coalition said the use of DBP, a chemical additive to adhesives and plastics, in concentration above 0.1 percent is prohibited in children’s toys under the Department of Health Administrative Order 2009-0005-A as amended in December 2011.
DBP is also listed on Annex II, Part 1 of the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive as among the substances that “must not form part of the composition of cosmetic products.”
“The consumption of this tainted rice, especially by pregnant women and young children, may expose consumers to DBP, which is known to cause birth and reproductive disorders in laboratory animals,” Mendoza warned.
Citing a study on rats by researchers at the School of Medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid, EcoWaste said the oral intake of DBP by their mothers during pregnancy affected the offspring, with the effects being more apparent in the reproductive development of male pups.
The group said the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued an advisory on February 11, 2015 against a DBPcontaining artificial nail adhesive.
The FDA said “DBP has the ability to cause allergic reactions (and that) there were previous cases where allergic response to DBP was found to be severe.”
“Allergic reactions can induce a state of hypersensitivity in the immune system,” the FDA said.
The FDA warned that DBP “can cause the immune system to respond to chemical exposures with immunological reactions that are harmful, varying from hives to life threatening responses such as anaphylactic shock, where low blood pressure and breathing difficulties can result in death.”