The new technology developed by DSM and Buhler produces rice kernels that are indistinguishable from unfortified rice in looks and taste, and are still highly nutritious after cooking.
A breakthrough in rice fortification
Rice fortification presents numerous technical problems. Micronutrients cannot simply be added to the kernels, because they do not stay where they are needed. The traditional soaking and rinsing of rice with water prior to cooking removes most of the added nutrients. In the past, addition of reconstituted, fortified rice kernels to normal rice proved unsatisfactory, because consumers saw the added kernels as a «contamination», and removed them. To overcome these difficulties, DSM and Buhler prepare the fortified kernels by a hot extrusion method with encapsulated micronutrients. The fortified kernels look, taste and behave exactly like normal rice; the nutrients embedded in the kernel are efficiently protected from external influences during washing and cooking. The process uses low-cost broken rice as raw material, and kernels can be made to customers’ specific requirements of shape, color and nutrient content.
Ensure adequate intakes of vitamins and minerals
To guarantee an appropriate intake of the vitamins and minerals needed for good health, NutriRice® fortified kernels are mixed with natural rice in a ratio of 1:100 or 2:100. This results in a product of excellent physical stability, in which the added nutrients are retained in adequate amounts during storage, washing and cooking. Compared with rice fortified by any other method, NutriRice® is a better source of essential micronutrients.
