ILOILO CITY, Philippines (PNA) - Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog here led the launching of the iron-fortified rice (I-rice) as an important daily nutritional component especially for children to address the alarming nutrient deficiency.
The city mayor led the supplemental feeding of arroz caldo with I-rice to hundreds of pupils of three-day care centers in Barangay Obrero in Lapuz district recently as the National Food Authority (NFA), National Nutrition Council (NNC) and Department of Health (DoH) campaigned for I-rice acceptance in households.
Hedy Jardeleza of NFA said I-rice is a mixture of white milled rice and I-Mix or iron rice premix processed through fortification.
NFA accredited retail outlets nationwide are currently selling I-rice at R27 a kilo.
Fortification is the addition of micronutrient such as vitamins and minerals especially iron deficient in the diet to the rice widely consumed by specific at-risk groups such as schoolchildren, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
NFA Regional Director Tomas Escarez said the rice fortification is in compliance with Republic Act 8976 or the Philippine Food Fortification Act of 2000 that calls for mandatory fortification of staples such as rice, flour, cooking oil and refined sugar.
