OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental (PIA)--The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Misamis Occidental is looking for rice millers as adopters of iron-fortified rice an enriched rice made by blending iron rice premix with ordinary rice using an efficient blending machine.
Guided by Republic Act 8976, or the Food Fortification Law of 2000, the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) conducted a series of studies on rice fortification, from a laboratory-scale experiment to commercial production, aimed to decrease the prevalence of iron deficiency in the country.
Rice, as the staple food in the Philippines, is an excellent vehicle for food fortification, said DOST Misamis Occidental.
Per 65-gram serving, iron-fortified raw rice has 52 grams of total carbohydrates, 230 kcal of energy, 4 grams of total protein, and 1.3 mg of iron.
Iron-fortified rice has the following competitive advantages: it can be washed and cooked like regular rice; it has no aftertaste or smell; and it has a similar texture and taste to regular rice.
For interested adopters, DOST Misamis Occidental can be reached through 0917-677-3331 and misocc@region10.dost.gov.ph, or one may visit them at Purok 3, Rizal St., Lower Loboc, Oroquieta City. (DOST Misamis Occidental/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)
