The Rice Association has unveiled a new database of basmati rice DNA – as part of its ongoing efforts to curb fraudulent and mislabelled basmati products in the UK.
Authorities in India and Pakistan have provided authenticated samples of 27 new varieties, more than doubling the number of basmati types covered by association reference material.
The trade body intends to share the revised information of around 40 basmati variants with analytical labs around the UK to allow businesses and law enforcement to check legitimacy through DNA testing.
The updated information arrives with a revamped Rice Association code of practice on basmati – which gives UK suppliers the right to officially sell the 27 new varieties as basmati. The revised code comes into effect on 1 July. Since its introduction in 2005, incidences of mislabelled and fraudulent products have fallen from around 20% in 2004 to just under 2% today, according to the Rice Association.
However, the organisation continued to undertake regular checks on the authenticity of basmati as it became “increasingly difficult in the UK to ensure you’re not getting an unapproved version” due to farmers switching between crops, said association secretary Alex Waugh.
In spite of basmati having accounted for around half of the UK’s annual £750m of rice sales, less than one third grown in India and Pakistan could previously be labelled officially as basmati in the UK, Waugh added. “The change will mean importers have access to some exceptional varieties previously off limits.”
Among the additions is Pusa 1121, sold for some years in the UK as ‘extra-long’ or ‘biryani’ rice. Its “identity crisis” would be finally be resolved by the new code of practice, said Harry Dulai, MD of Surya Foods.
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