Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), on Sunday, debunked the claim in a viral video circulating the social media about plastic Semovita in the market.
FMN are the manufacturers of Golden Penny Semovita.
According to management of the company our attention has been drawn to a viral video showing some people washing a pack of Golden Penny Semovita under running water.
It reads; “Like many things on social media, the video is misleading and causing unnecessary worry.
“We can confirm that the residue that is visible after the washing process in the video is actually ‘Protein,’ and not plastic or rubber as some people have erroneously asserted.
“Wheat is a significant source of natural plant based protein for humans, and can be found in many types of foods, including breads, biscuits and more.”
The protein is the reason bread products are chewy, and give them an elastic quality. It is also the reason Semovita is smooth and easy to mould when prepared. ”
The statement also said: “Golden Penny Semovita is made from some of the finest and highest quality raw materials possible, and is certified as healthy and safe to eat by the national Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and several global and local food certification bodies.”
Explaining, Professor of Food Technology, Department of Food Technology, University of Ibadan, Prof. Charles Aworh, said: “What people see in the trending video is actually a natural protein called gluten which the video referred to as synthetic plastic.
“Gluten is actually made up of two proteins, glutenin and gliadin which combine to form a natural elastic material as depicted accurately in the video. It is glutein that causes bread to rise and gives wheat its unique bread-making properties. Proteins may take all sorts of forms. Gelatin, for example the professor continued, is a protein from collagen derived from animal sources which is gummy when moist. The video is a classical example of the damaging consequences of ignorance,” he said.
