Hyderabad scientist develops iron rich rice

Study shows college students had improved levels of haemoglobin after consuming the new variety

Hyderabad: The health-conscious lots who have been constantly worrying about the lack of iron content in polished rice, consumed by most of us as a staple food, have good tidings.

A Hyderabad-based scientist from the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) has developed a new variety of ‘iron-rich rice’ to address iron deficiency among rice eaters.

It may be mentioned here that the deficiency in iron is largely responsible for anaemia, especially among women.

“Like the polished rice available in the market, there is no significant difference in the appearance, odour, tenderness and taste of the iron-rich rice,” said Dr M Mohibbe Azam, Principal Scientist in the Crop Improvement Section, who developed the new variety of rice at the IIRR.

According to the National Family Health Survey 2005-06, prevalence of anaemia in India is 70 per cent among children (6-59 months), 55 per cent among women (15-49 years) and 24 per cent among men (15- 40 years).

In general, the iron content in polished rice is between four and five parts-per-million (PPM). However as per the recommendations of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an adult should consume around 21 milligrams to 28 milligrams of iron per day.

“We had started our research with an aim to providing fortified iron to lower income groups, who are mostly anaemic,” he says. Although many countries have worked on iron fortified rice, Dr Azam said, “The problem with coated rice is that the iron gets lost when it is rinsed.”

“Then we thought why not fortify the rice in such a way that the iron gets inside the grain, and there would be no problem with milling and washing,” he explained. As a result, parboiling method has been adopted to ensure that the iron content is secured inside the grain. In parboiling, the mineral present on the surface would be retained inside and iron would be distributed uniformly all over the grain. Thus, there would be no considerable loss of iron when rinsed or cooked in excess water, he said.

A kilogram of the new variety of rice contains 35 milligram of iron. Upon conducting a study among anaemic students, it was revealed that the haemoglobin levels of the students have gone up significantly from 6.77 to 10.36 gm/dl (grams per decilitre). “We fed anaemic college students with 100 gram of iron fortified rice thrice a week for two months. We have seen this significant improvement in their haemoglobin levels,” Dr Azam said.

Another interesting feature is that normal rice, which has a thin coat of oil, is vulnerable to oxidation process leading to generation of free radicals, which have a harmful effect on consumers. Unlike this, the new variety with the iron infused inside the grain, there is no possibility of the formation of free radicals making is a healthy proposition.

“Fortification of rice can be carried out at the existing rice mills with an extra cost of Rs 1 per kg which includes the iron to be infused with the rice,” Dr Azam said.