MANILA - Rice labels in markets should be changed to avoid "deception and unfair trade practices," Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Friday.

Under Piñol's proposal, rice products sold in the market will "only be labelled as Regular Milled Rice, Well-Milled Rice, Long Grain Head Rice and Special Rice which would include Heirloom and Organic Rice."

"The truth is, aside from 'Dinorado' and 'Jasmine,' there is no such thing as 'Sinandomeng' or 'Angelica' rice varieties," Piñol said in a statement.

"Worse, the 'Dinorado' and 'Jasmine' sold in the market are not the real rice varieties, thus the retailers are guilty of deception and unfair trade practice," he said.

The National Food Authority (NFA) Council is expected to decide on the renaming of rice products in a "special meeting" on Monday.

Should the policy be adopted, licenses of non-compliant rice traders and retailers will be revoked, Piñol said.