health

Worm-ridden rice pulled from stores

Officials seized 1,245 pounds of rice in the city of Chitré that was contaminated with worms and weevils. The contaminated grain was destroyed Monday.

Salomón Álvarez, director of the Autoridad de Protección al Consumidor y Defensa de la Competencia, said that inspectors confiscated the rice between Friday and Monday from supermarkets and grocery stores. The seized brands were Azuero, White Rice, Veraguas, San Lorenzo, Premier, Del Pacífico and Del Oro.

The authority's legal department is investigating how the contaminated rice made it to store shelves.

The regional director of the Instituto de Mercadeo Agropecuario (IMA) in Herrera, Brunilda Polo, said that a large shipment of rice is headed to the city's markets to offset the product that was destroyed, so there will not be a shortage.