THE shocking news about the use of chemicals [in processing rice] has pressured Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono to issue a ban. In fact, according to food technology experts, the material used to bleach rice is not chlorine, as it is currently believed. It is kaporit (a type of chlorine) used on fresh chicken, shrimps and drinking water processing plants, said Anton, when he met with the Tempo team last week.

Even so, as the party authorize