Is there any problem in buying golden rice when traveling?

On August 3, Ms. Zhang, who lives in Shamao Street, Hannan, Wuhan City, called our news hotline: While traveling in Enshi, she spent 28 yuan to buy back a kilogram of something called "golden rice." . After returning to Han, she and her family ate it as a rare food. However, after eating it a few times, she and her family had many concerns - what kind of rice is golden rice? Can it be eaten? Why is it so expensive?

Ms. Zhang, who is in her 50s, is a retired financial personnel. On July 27, she and her friends traveled to Enshi in a group. After visiting a scenic spot that afternoon, the tour guide took her into a small supermarket for shopping. The salesperson sold them a kind of bulk "golden rice". The rice is golden in color, with crystal clear rice grains and a charming sheen. The salesperson also said that this rice is a local specialty, the yield is very small, and "eating it regularly is good for your health."

Ms. Zhang spent 28 yuan to buy a kilogram of this rice, "just to have a taste." After returning home, every time she cooked rice or porridge, she would follow the supermarket salesperson's instructions and add a small handful of this golden rice to ordinary rice. After eating rice and porridge mixed with this rice for several days, she and her husband gradually began to have questions and worries: Why is this rice called golden rice? Does rice really contain gold? Is there any benefit to eating it?

To this end, the reporter found a relevant expert - Mr. Xu Wenqin, associate professor and master's tutor of the Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Biology, Wuhan University of Technology. He said that currently, there are at least three types of things that can be called "golden rice" globally.

The first one is golden rice developed using genetically modified technology, also known as golden rice. It is a kind of rice that is safe to eat. It is rich in beta-carotene, so its rice grains are golden yellow. Regular consumption of this kind of rice can effectively supplement vitamin A. Currently, this kind of rice is not available in my country.

The second type was developed by Koreans and is rice with real trace amounts of gold added. It is said that gold ultra-fine particles with a size of 2 nanometers are used to make a gold aqueous solution, and then the solution is sprayed on the rice to make golden rice. Koreans claim that this rice has health benefits, but in fact, it is just rice dyed with gold. In our country, gold can be added to liquor as a food additive, and rice without added gold is sold.

The third type is processed from corn flour. After the manufacturer grinds the corn into extremely fine powder, and then uses a mold to press the powder into the shape of rice under low temperature and high pressure, it is known as "golden rice". The nutritional value of this kind of rice is basically the same as that of corn, but its taste is better than that of corn, and its price is much more expensive than that of corn. It can be eaten with confidence.

Professor Xu Wenjin said that after looking at the photos of the golden rice purchased by Ms. Zhang and listening to Ms. Zhang’s story, he felt that the golden rice she bought back was most likely made of corn flour. .

From ifeng.com