D W . D E I N 3 0L A N G U A G E S

D W A K A D E M I EA B O U TD W

F O O D A I D

WFP seeking to expand Asia's use ofnutrient-rich riceVitamins and minerals are being added to Asia's main staple, rice, to help those sufferingfrom chronic nutrient deficiencies in the region's developing nations. The latesttechnologies 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 Childrens

Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

In a DW interview, senior regional nutrition advisor with the WFP'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.

Deut sche W elle

GERMANY WORLD BUSINESS SCI-TECH ENVIRONMENT CULTURE SPORTS

TOP STORIES / WORLD / ASIA

Search TOP STORIES

TOP STORIES MEDIA CENTER PROGRAM LEARN GERMAN

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com

javascript:void(0);/dw-akademie/media-development/s-12120/about-dw/who-we-are/s-3325///top-stories/germany/s-1432/top-stories/visit-germany/s-7550http://www7.dw.de/welterbe/en/start_en/index.html/top-stories/world/s-1429/top-stories/asia/s-12758/top-stories/europe/s-1433/top-stories/africa/s-12756/top-stories/south-africa-20-years-after-apartheid/s-101065/top-stories/americas/s-12757/top-stories/middle-east/s-14207/top-stories/business/s-1431/top-stories/sci-tech/s-12526/top-stories/digital-life/s-30525/top-stories/environment/s-11798/top-stories/culture/s-1441/top-stories/film/s-101405/top-stories/books/s-101406/top-stories/music/s-14019/top-stories/arts/s-10553/top-stories/digital-culture/s-101407/top-stories/lifestyle/s-30526/top-stories/sports/s-8171/top-stories/the-bundesliga-blog/s-101387/top-stories/fall-of-the-wall/s-101222/top-stories/afghanistan-2014/s-101036/top-stories/ebola-get-the-facts/s-101306/top-stories/game-of-thrones-dw-celebrates-20-years-online/s-101160/top-stories/global-ideas/s-30654/top-stories/gutenberg-in-the-cyberstorm/s-101302/top-stories/learning-by-ear/s-11908/top-stories/life-links/s-101167/top-stories/when-we-were-17-youth-at-the-crossroads/s-101126/top-stories/world-war-i/s-101037/germanys-stringent-pilot-aptitude-tests/a-18344148/good-prospects-for-iran-nuclear-deal-but-obstacles-remain/a-18343580/greece-submits-reform-list-ahead-of-deadline/a-18345990/media-center/s-100824/media-center/live-tv/s-100825/media-center/all-media-content/s-100826/media-center/latest-programs/s-100827/media-center/podcasts/s-100977/program/s-1452-9798/program/whats-on-tv/s-9102-9798/program/tv-program-guide/s-4757-9798/program/tv-programs/s-9103-9798/program/video-on-demand/s-4756-9798/program/arts21/s-7885-9798/program/business-brief/s-30478-9798/program/close-up/s-100282-9798/program/discover-germany/s-7856-9798/program/documentaries-and-reports/s-3610-9798/program/drive-it/s-9690-9798/program/euromaxx/s-7555-9798/program/europe-in-concert/s-30431-9798/program/faith-matters/s-3952-9798/program/focus-on-europe/s-101185-9798/program/global-3000/s-11487-9798/program/in-good-shape/s-11938-9798/program/insight-germany/s-30472-9798/program/journal/s-3232-9798/program/kick-off/s-12839-9798/program/kino/s-7556-9798/program/life-links/s-101165-9798/program/made-in-germany/s-3066-9798/program/popxport/s-7855-9798/program/quadriga/s-7296-9798/program/sarahs-music/s-101118-9798/program/shift/s-30417-9798/program/talking-germany/s-11937-9798/program/the-new-arab-debates/s-30470-9798/program/tomorrow-today/s-3062-9798/program/treasures-of-the-world/s-3061-9798/program/africalink/s-30300/program/concert-hour/s-3049/program/inside-europe/s-3067/program/living-planet/s-3072/program/pulse/s-3047/program/spectrum/s-3126/program/worldlink/s-30443/program/world-in-progress/s-3176/learn-german/s-2469/learn-german/german-courses/s-2547/learn-german/quick-start/s-31682/learn-german/deutsch-interaktiv/s-9572/learn-german/radio-d/s-9671/learn-german/mission-europe/s-9831/learn-german/deutsch-warum-nicht/s-2548/learn-german/wieso-nicht/s-2551/learn-german/marktplatz/s-2555/learn-german/audiotrainer/s-9677/deutsch-lernen/deutsch-xxl/s-12376/dw/0,,2146,00.html/dw/0,,9213,00.html/dw/0,,13121,00.html/deutsch-lernen/bandtagebuch/s-13891/dw/0,,12377,00.html/dw/0,,9035,00.html/dw/0,,30546,00.html/dw/0,,30547,00.html/dw/0,,11696,00.html/dw/0,,9032,00.html/dw/0,,2233,00.html/dw/0,,14199,00.html/dw/0,,9729,00.html/deutsch-lernen/deutschlehrer-info/s-13503/top-stories/germany/s-1432/top-stories/world/s-1429/top-stories/business/s-1431/top-stories/sci-tech/s-12526/top-stories/environment/s-11798/top-stories/culture/s-1441/top-stories/sports/s-8171//top-stories/world/s-1429/top-stories/asia/s-12758/dietary-supplements-could-beat-the-worlds-hidden-hunger-says-report/a-17800767/opinion-politicians-should-redouble-efforts-to-end-hunger/a-17995973/climate-change-to-severely-impact-growth-in-south-asia/a-17867698/asia/t-17871225/search/english/asia/category/9097//search/english/fortified+rice/category/9097//search/english/world+food+programme/category/9097//search/english/nutrients/category/9097//search/english/vitamins/category/9097//search/english/minerals/category/9097/http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.de%2Fp%2F1DFrDhttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?source=webclient&text=WFP+seeking+to+expand+Asia%27s+use+of+nutrient-rich+rice+http%3A%2F%2Fdw.de%2Fp%2F1DFrD&via=dw_englishhttps://plus.google.com/share?hl=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.de%2Fwfp-seeking-to-expand-asias-use-of-nutrient-rich-rice%2Fa-17935559javascript:window.print()/illegitimate-newborns-murdered-and-discarded/a-17582853/journalism-should-become-everyones-business/a-17513443/the-necessary-price-of-freedom/a-17005288/stir-over-vandalized-copies-of-anne-franks-diary/a-17478920/corruption-fears-loom-over-indonesian-elections/a-17460529/tortured-beaten-starved-life-in-a-north-korean-gulag/a-16889451http://www.facebook.com/dwasiahttp://www.dw.de/dw/0,,12326,00.htmlhttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDFhttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDF

D W R E C O M M E N D S

WFP: 'Hunger easing inAsia, but more must bedone'

Despite a drop in the number ofhungry people, Asia is home to 526million people without enough toeat, a new report finds. This is whyending hunger must be at thecenter of the political agenda, ZoieJones tells DW. (17.09.2014)

UN Report: globalunderfed population drops100 million in a decade

Dietary supplements couldbeat the world's 'hiddenhunger' says report

FAO says bumper cropsbring down food prices, butdemand rising in Asia

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 onthese 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.

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com

/wfp-hunger-easing-in-asia-but-more-must-be-done/a-17928205/un-report-global-underfed-population-drops-100-million-in-a-decade/a-17924033/dietary-supplements-could-beat-the-worlds-hidden-hunger-says-report/a-17800767/fao-says-bumper-crops-bring-down-food-prices-but-demand-rising-in-asia/a-17412282http://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDFhttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDF

Ghoos: 'We know the poor and the vulnerable are mostin need of this rice'

Date 19.09.2014

Author Interview: Andrea Nierhoff

Related Subjects Asia

Keywords Asia, fortified rice, World Food Programme, nutrients, vitamins, minerals

Share Facebook Twitter Google+ More

Feedback: Send us an e-mail. Please include your name and country in your reply.

Print Print this page

Permalink http://dw.de/p/1DFrD

Dietary supplements couldbeat the world's 'hiddenhunger' says report 23.07.2014Health experts often call it the"hidden hunger." Malnutrition, adietary lack of vitamins andminerals, afflicts nearly two billionpeople worldwide. It can lead toserious diseases, but there might bea way out.

Opinion: Politicians shouldredouble efforts to endhunger 14.10.2014In order to tackle the problem ofundernourishment affecting twobillion people globally, politiciansmust do more than just focus onnational interests, says DW'sGrahame Lucas.

Climate change to 'severelyimpact' growth in SouthAsia 20.08.2014As more extreme weather hitsSouth Asia, the effects of climatechange are taking a toll on theeconomy, with the region at risk oflosing up to 8.8 percent of theirGDP by 2100, analyst MahfuzAhmed tells DW.

R E L A T E D C O N T E N T

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 andnon-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 RegionalBureau for Asia.

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com

/asia/t-17871225/search/english/asia/category/9097//search/english/fortified+rice/category/9097//search/english/world+food+programme/category/9097//search/english/nutrients/category/9097//search/english/vitamins/category/9097//search/english/minerals/category/9097/http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.de%2Fp%2F1DFrDhttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?source=webclient&text=WFP+seeking+to+expand+Asia%27s+use+of+nutrient-rich+rice+http%3A%2F%2Fdw.de%2Fp%2F1DFrD&via=dw_englishhttps://plus.google.com/share?hl=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.de%2Fwfp-seeking-to-expand-asias-use-of-nutrient-rich-rice%2Fa-17935559javascript:window.print()http://www.facebook.com/dwasiahttp://www.dw.de/dw/0,,12326,00.htmlhttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDFhttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDF

TOP STORIESGermanyWorldBusinessSci-TechEnvironmentCultureSports A - Z Index

MEDIA CENTERLive TVAll media contentLatest ProgramsPodcasts

PROGRAMWhat's on TV?TV Program GuideTV ProgramsVideo on Demand

LEARN GERMANGerman CoursesGerman XXLCommunity DTeaching German

EXPLORE DWRSSReceptionSocial MediaNewslettersPodcastingMobile

ABOUT DWWho we arePressBusiness & SalesAdvertisingHotelsServiceMy DW DW AKADEMIEMedia DevelopmentMaster's DegreeTraineeshipTrainingAbout us

2015 Deutsche Welle | Privacy Policy | Legal notice | Contact

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com

//top-stories/germany/s-1432/top-stories/world/s-1429/top-stories/business/s-1431/top-stories/sci-tech/s-12526/top-stories/environment/s-11798/top-stories/culture/s-1441/top-stories/sports/s-8171/a-z-index/index-en/media-center/s-100824/media-center/live-tv/s-100825/media-center/all-media-content/s-100826/media-center/latest-programs/s-100827/media-center/podcasts/s-100977/program/s-1452-9798/program/whats-on-tv/s-9102-9798/program/tv-program-guide/s-4757-9798/program/tv-programs/s-9103-9798/program/video-on-demand/s-4756-9798/learn-german/s-2469/learn-german/german-courses/s-2547/deutsch-lernen/deutsch-xxl/s-12376/dw/0,,9035,00.html/dw/0,,2233,00.html/explore-dw/s-9099/explore-dw/rss/s-31500/explore-dw/reception/s-6809-9798/explore-dw/social-media/s-7882/dw/article/0,,15718229,00.htmlhttp://dw.de/media-center/podcast/s-100977/explore-dw/mobile/s-8733/about-dw/who-we-are/s-3325/about-dw/who-we-are/s-3325/about-dw/press/s-3293/about-dw/business-sales/s-3303/about-dw/advertising/s-101376/about-dw/hotels/s-3972/about-dw/service/s-30599/about-dw/my-dw/s-30613/dw-akademie/media-development/s-12120/dw-akademie/media-development/s-12120/dw-akademie/masters-degree/s-12276/dw-akademie/traineeship/s-12130/dw-akademie/training/s-12125/dw-akademie/about-us/s-9519/data-privacy-policy/a-18265246/imprint/contacthttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDFhttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDF