WFP Seeking To Expand Asia's Use Of Nutrient-Rich Rice

Vitamins and minerals are being added to Asia's main staple, rice, to help those suffering from chronic nutrient deficiencies in the region's developing nations. The latest technologies are now set to boost production.

More than two billion people worldwide are living with the consequences of micronutrient deficiencies, increasing the risk of illness and premature death. The majority of the people reside in developing economies in Asia. New ways are now being developed to deliver extra vitamins and minerals to these people by adding nutrients to their main staple: rice.



A recent meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, brought together regional experts and nutritionists to look at opportunities to expand the production and distribution of the nutrient-rich grain, called fortified rice. The conference is co-organized by the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the Micronutrient Initiative (MI), PATH, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and WFP.



In a DW interview, senior regional nutrition advisor with the World Food Programme's Regional Bureau for Asia, Katrien Ghoos says that the new technologies for adding vitamins and minerals to rice make it easier to be produced and provided to more people.



DW: What is rice fortification?



Katrien Ghoos: There is a technology in the United States called "dusting" where a powder mix of the vitamins and minerals are put on the rice. But this technology is ineffective in many Asian and African countries as rice is washed and soaked before being cooked.



Now new technologies exist that make it possible and easier to retain micronutrients in the fortified rice: coating and extrusion. For coating they put all the vitamins and minerals around the kernel with a specific kind of glue to make sure it stays on the kernel. For extrusion they mix rice flour and the fortificant mix together, add water to it and push it through an extrusion machine to make kernels that look exactly like regular rice kernels. Both are then mixed with non-fortified rice.



In reality you can put any type of vitamin and mineral to the rice. We're not only talking about vitamins, but also iron, folic acid and so on. What exactly is added to the rice really depends on the country and its needs.



For instance, vitamin Bs such as B12 and B6, Niacin and Thiamin are added because they were initially present in the rice but washed away through polishing.



How open have people been to eating fortified rice?



If you want people to eat fortified rice, then it should look exactly like normal rice, so that people won't see the difference. In many countries, people take out the dirty or the colored kernels because they think they're not clean, and they like to have white rice.



The fortified rice doesn't look different at all; in fact in some countries such as Bangladesh there is very good acceptability of this kind of rice, and to some extent people even prefer it because it has a slightly sweet smell. You can't distinguish it when it is either cooked or uncooked.



How is the rice produced?



With these kinds of technologies the mixing of the rice needs to happen under controlled circumstances so a specific machine is needed to blend it and mix it. Although in theory it is possible to produce the rice at a local level, there are practical problems associated with quality control and production amounts, among others.



If you are aware of the supply chain flow of rice in your country - information on what is imported, where the big consumption and production areas are - then, it is at these points, like mills or warehouses, where the rice is blended. In this way, fortified rice is produced.



How successful has the programme been so far?



I think, on a small scale, we have been very successful. At a larger scale, for instance, Bangladesh is one place where they're now taking it to the next level and working on integrating the distribution of fortified rice into social safety nets targeted to the poorest, who need it most. We're talking about millions of people that can be reached.



A lot of countries got involved in evidence gathering and trials, for example Cambodia and Bangladesh. We have a lot of government support in countries such as Indonesia. They all face the same challenges involving the supply chain and public's acceptance. We know the poor and the vulnerable are most in need of this rice, the challenge is how we reach these groups.



What effect has the nutrient-rich rice had on these countries?



With programs on a large scale, it is too early to know for sure. But maybe in a couple of years we will be able to answer that. Trials indicate that people will improve their nutritional status resulting in better learning outcomes for schoolchildren, and as a consequence better revenue once the child grows up and is working.



However, rice fortification is not the only intervention needed to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. People with very high needs such as young children and pregnant women need additional specific interventions. But fortified rice will benefit the entire population and needs to be seen as complementary to other interventions.



Is there a price difference between fortified and non-fortified rice?



That's a complicated question. There is of course a price difference between fortified and non-fortified rice. The price difference is related to the supply chain, and how you are able to procure the fortified kernels, how you are able to blend them into the non-fortified rice, among others. If you can do it in a way where there are cost savings such as energy saving measures, the final price will be less. The cost comes from processing and producing the fortified kernels because you need two ingredients: fortificant mix and rice.



It is estimated that there is a price difference of seven to eight percent, but these are estimates of trials at small scale. Once you establish large supply chains, price increases will be as little as one percent. Of course we're talking about a staple food and there is a limited margin on selling staples. Moreover, consumers in developing countries can't afford them. Using the social safety nets can be a way to bring fortified rice to these most in need populations.



Katrien Ghoos is the senior regional nutrition advisor with the World Food Programme's Regional Bureau for Asia.