NFA, NNC launch I-Rice

CEBU, Philippines - The National Food Authority and National Nutrition Council yesterday formally launched the so-called I-Rice and encouraged the public to patronize the NFA-iron-fortified rice to slowly solve micronutrient deficiency.

NFA Regional Director Danilo Bonabon explained that Republic Act 8976 or the Philippine Food Fortification Act was enacted in 2000 purposely to address the alarming micronutrient deficiency in the country, but the same has reportedly not been strictly enforced.

Dr. Parolita Mission, the regional nutrition program coordinator of the National Nutrition Council, said statistics would show that three of 10 pregnant women lack iron, which sometimes causes goiter.

The same study also showed that two of 10 pre-school and school children in the country are suffering from malnutrition.

NFA 7 Public Information Officer Lucy Rosales said a large portion of the population today suffers from hidden hunger or micronutrient deficiency, a leading nutritional disorder in the world.

Micronutrient deficiency refers to the lack of Vitamin A, Iron and Iodine needed to keep the mind sharp and strong body to prevent that a person can be easily sick.

The law calls for the mandatory fortification of staples such as rice, flour, refined sugar and cooking oil, meaning the manufacturers of the food products are required to add vitamins and minerals to commonly eaten food lacking the basic nutrients.

Rosales explained that to fortify rice, milled rice is mixed with iron rice premix as a mixing ratio of one sack of premix for every 200 sacks of rice as set by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).

“For every kilogram of raw milled rice, five grams of iron rice premix are mixed to produce iron-fortified rice,” Rosales said.

Aside from saving more money by buying the NFA fortified rice, Rosales explained that eating the iron-fortified rice prevents anemia and the body will resist to infections.

The study also showed that it will improve mental and physical development and maintains alertness and endurance, and most of all it will prevent child birth defects and mortality during pregnancy and good lactating mothers.

IFR is already available in all NFA accredited retail outlets in public markets and it only costs P27 per kilo compared to commercially-produced rice which is much costly.

Rosales warned the public not to worry if the IFR will slightly become grayish when cooked because it is expected because of the reactive and fast oxidative nature of ferrous sulfate used as rice premix. – (FREEMAN)