"Good day everyone!
Today, I’ll be presenting an important project
that highlights the power of science and nutrition working together
—the Rice Fortification Project, a collaboration between the
Philippine Nuclear Research Institute or PNRI, and the Food
and Nutrition Research Institute or FNRI. This project tackles
one of the most pressing issues in our country—malnutrition—and
provides a sustainable solution through something we Filipinos eat
every single day: rice."
"Rice is one of the world’s most important foods. In fact, it is the second most
important crop globally, next only to corn, and it’s also the second most consumed
cereal grain. For billions of people, rice is not just a meal—it’s their main source of
energy and survival.
On average, rice provides 21% of the total global calorie intake per person. In
some Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, this number can go up to
80%. Imagine that—four out of every five calories in a Filipino diet can come just
from rice.
However, there’s a problem: while rice gives us energy, it doesn’t provide all the
nutrients our bodies need. That’s where fortification comes in. Fortification means
adding essential vitamins and minerals to everyday foods. This is especially
important for staple foods like rice, because it ensures that people get the nutrition
they need without having to change their eating habits."
"So, what exactly is rice fortification?
It’s the process of adding essential nutrients such as iron, vitamin A, and
folic acid directly into rice.
By fortifying rice with these nutrients, we are addressing health problems at the root
level, because rice is something people already eat every day."
[Slide: Rice Fortification in the Philippines]
"In the Philippines, rice fortification has become a crucial step in fighting
malnutrition. The process enriches rice with essential micro-nutrients, making it more
than just a source of energy but also a source of health.
This program is a collaboration between PNRI and FNRI. The PNRI provides the
science and technology, while FNRI focuses on nutrition research and public
health. Together, they developed a special technique using nuclear science to
produce stabilized rice premix kernels.
What does that mean? Basically, they create rice-like kernels that already contain the
nutrients. These fortified kernels are then blended with ordinary rice. The amazing
part is that the rice looks and tastes the same as normal rice, but it’s far more
nutritious.
This initiative started in November 2004, after the passing of the Food Fortification
Law (Republic Act 8976) in 2000. This law requires certain staple foods to be
fortified with vitamins and minerals to help fight malnutrition nationwide."
[Slide: Implementing Agencies]
"Of course, such a large-scale project requires coordination among several
government agencies:
The National Food Authority (NFA), under the Department of Agriculture, oversees
the actual implementation of rice fortification programs across the country. They
make sure fortified rice reaches the markets and is accessible to the public.
The Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research
Institute (DOST–FNRI) conducts nutrition research, checks the health benefits of
fortified rice, and ensures that it is included in important feeding programs, especially
for children and vulnerable communities.
The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Nuclear Research
Institute (DOST–PNRI) is responsible for developing the rice fortification
technology itself. They use nuclear science techniques to make sure the nutrients
added to the rice remain stable, effective, and safe even after the rice is washed and
cooked."