The Health Ministry said today Malaysia does not import fake rice as alleged in a recent viral social media report.

Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this was verified by Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas).

Furthermore, monitoring by the ministry found that three brands of rice said to have been produced from plastic were not sold in the country, he said in a statement.

"As notified via a Health Ministry press statement dated May 21, 2015, the rice Malaysia imports is usually from Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan as disclosed by Bernas.

"According to Bernas, the rice is imported in bulk and packed in this country in various sizes," he said.

The statement said it was needless for the people to worry because food safety monitoring and enforcement were conducted constantly to ensure that food in the market was safe for consumption.

Consumers can lodge complaints with the ministry if they have doubts about the safety status of any food in the market. Their complaints can be sent through the district health offices or state health departments.

They can also register their complaints on the website http://moh.spab.gov.my or Facebook of the Food Safety and Quality Division at www.facebook.com/bkkmhq. -- Bernama