The Majlis Agriculture Committee has set a one-week deadline for the relevant executive branch bodies to closely examine the case of rice imported from India which is said to be contaminated.
"A one-week deadline has been set for the health and agricultural jihad ministries, in cooperation with the Institute of Standard (and Industrial Research of Iran), to determine the level of contamination of the imported rice through a variety of tests and to report back to the Majlis," MP Mohammad Mahdi Afshari told the Mehr News Agency on Monday.
But it is unfortunate that no national standards have been set to clearly determine whether the rice is contaminated, he lamented.
The standards institute has identified some types of the rice as suspect, and further tests are in order to determine if they are contaminated, the MP said.
It is said that Iran has detected high levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead in the rice imported from India during the last few weeks.
The Institute of Standard and Industrial Research of Iran previously announced that the rice contains more cadmium and mercury than the acceptable level. However, the institute adopted a new position on Sunday and announced that the rice is of acceptable quality and there is no need for concern.