Hello everyone, I have recently purchased a bag full of rice from a shop in Basel. I often buy it from the same shop. I never experienced it before, but when I was cooking it, I smelt Gammexane (its an insecticide) from the food which made me feel sick to my stomach. The expiry date on the bag shows till 2017. Is there a place where we could take it to a test to confirm it? Any pointer would be highly appreciated.

As a starting point you could contact the BLV's information desk with this question:

http://www.blv.admin.ch/dienstleistu...x.html?lang=en

Since the 'L' in BLV stands for Lebensmittelsicherheit, this is likely a good place to begin.

ETA:

FYI, there is more information on the BLV's involvement in food safety issues in German and French than in English.

Thank you for the information. I have just sent an email enquiry in english. Hope I get a reply. I will provide an update in this space, soon.

How on earth are you able to identify something as specific as that?

Lindane when pure is odorless but inpurities and lead to it smelling musty.

Have you ever smelt it? Insecticides and pesticides are too strong(especially if they are used in large quantities). I was using the same brand from same shop for almost a year, so I know how it should smell .

If people can tell the country, grape variety and soil conditions from a whiff of wine, detecting Gammexane in rice should be a piece of cake!

Well yes, if it's an area of special expertise, but there's not many people who could reliably do so (with the wine) to that level of detail.

And I'm sure I'm not alone in having not a clue what gamma-whatsit smells like (never even heard of it) but the OP seems to think it's a commonplace thing, which is why I'm so surprised.

Me neither, and I work in a chemistry lab

That's what the federal authority says: link

edit: Just checked, we have some in our chemical stock room. Technically I could go an check how it smells. This comment made me curious

In Basel Stadt it would be the Gesundheitsdepartment (and more specifcally the Kantonales Laboratorium or the Lebensmittelinspektorat) http://www.gesundheitsschutz.bs.ch/u...spektorat.html

They also have an online form in which you can inform them of problems with products purchased in Basel, which they would then investigate further:

https://secure.bs.ch/web/gesundheits...yOViul2b45BsBh

I do think this forum really needs a "What did you sniff today?" thread... could potentially explain a lot of posts.

Please go ahead and let us know. I just had a go here and would say that it is unmistakably hydrocarbonic in nature, possessing a subtle peaty aroma with earthy and ascorbic undertones and the faintest soupçon of cabbage.

You don't have a mass-spec in your nose? Get with it, Grandad.

I smelt somebody smoking on the train platform today, anybody got Tom's phone number ?

It's a long shot - but did you try taking it back to the shop?

Yes, I've got it but I get enough nuisance and crank calls from nutcases already so you're not having it.

Thanks for starting this thread. Food safety concerns us all and I am grateful to know queries can addressed to a specific agency, very useful info!

i don't have much of a clue either but always smell the rice and send it back to impress the ladies.