Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) Nigerian authorities have seized 2.5 metric tons of reportedly fake rice during the holiday season. On Tuesday, the Nigerian Custom Service said it intercepted 102 bags of a brand called Best Tomato Rice after the recipient of a gift of rice alerted authorities. The health ministry released a statement on Friday urging Nigerians to remain calm after preliminary findings found no evidence that the rice was plastic or consisted of toxic chemical substances. Yet, the country's National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control has not released their investigative report. The health minister's statement contradicts earlier reports from customs officials.Investigation continues into where shipment originatedRice is a major staple food in Nigeria, often prepared as jollof rice
Attah said that a total of 221 bags -- each weighing 25 kilos -- came into _, but only 102 were recovered, which means 119 have already been distributed. "Though rice contribute a significant proportion of the food requirements of the [_] population, production capacity is far below the national requirements.