FNRI offers low-cost rice fortification machine

By: Lorenzo O. Lambatin, Jr.

RICE fortification technology is now more affordable for rice millers with the low-cost blending machine designed by the Department of Science and Technology’s -Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) in partnership with HDN Technologies, an equipment fabricator.

A press release from agency said other machines cost from P350,000 to P700,000 while a DOST-FNRI-designed blending machine will only cost approximately P250,000 only.

Aside from savings, it is more stable, robust, compact, works in bigger capacity and less prone to breakage.

About P500,000 additional investment covering equipment and raw materials are needed to start production of iron-fortified rice, the press release further said.

Prospective adoptors, particularly, rice millers, can write a letter of intent to DOST-FNRI director Dr. Mario V. Capanzana.

The FNRI-DOST is located at General Santos Avenue, Bicutan, Taguig City with telephone/fax numbers: 837-234 or 837-3164; direct line: 939-1839; trunk line 837-2071 to 82, local 2296 or 2284.

This is in line with the Philippine Food Fortification Act of 2000 or RA 8976 which mandates rice fortification with iron to address the problem of anemia mostly due to iron deficiency anemia.

About 11.1 percent of the Filipino population is anemic according to the DOST-FNRI 2013 National Nutrition Survey.

The blending machine is a vital piece of equipment used in rice fortification. It blends the iron rice premix with ordinary rice without damaging the grains and achieving uniformity even in higher capacity.

By just adding P2.00 to P3.00 per kilogram to the price of ordinary rice available in the market, a consumer can now have iron-fortified rice.

Details of the technology transfer and commercialization can be discussed through a series of consultative meetings with DOST-FNRI. (PIA/FNRI-DOST)