international food aid conference: nutrition panel dipika matthias project director, path may 2012...

International Food Aid Conference: Nutrition Panel

Dipika Matthias Project Director, PATHMay 2012

Ultra Rice: Improving the Nutritional Value of Rice

Topics• PATH • Ultra Rice Technology• Reaching Scale• Product refinement• Operational integration• Engagement of the private sector

• Looking Ahead

PATH: An International Non-Profit Organization

To improve global health by advancing technologies, strengthening systems, and encouraging healthy behaviors.

Innovation ensures health equity

Layers of Innovation for Global HealthTechnological innovation • Designing products, services, and/or methods which are culturally appropriate.

System innovation• Accommodating the technology within the

agricultural, health, or other delivery system.

Process innovation• Harnessing the energy of the private sector to ensure

sustainability => Public-Private Partnerships.

PATH: Global Reach

PATH has 31 offices in 22 countries with programs in 70 countries

Working to Working to improve improve micronutrient micronutrient health in rice health in rice consuming consuming communitiescommunities

PATH’s Ultra Rice Technology

• Developed by Bon Dente International and transferred to PATH in 1997.

• Manufactured rice grain made from rice flour, micronutrients, and stabilizing ingredients.

• Extruded through pasta-making equipment, formed into the shape of traditional rice.

• Mixed with locally milled rice, typically at a 1:100 ratio.

• Can retain nutrients through typical preparation practices (soaking, rinsing).

• Over 30 studies to date form the evidence base for Ultra Rice technology.

Technological Innovation

© PATH/Shirley Jankowski

© John Lok/The Seattle Times

Wholesalers/ Rice Aggregators

Small Retail, Open

Markets

Consumers

Fortified Rice (Ultra Rice blended w/ traditional rice) Ultra Rice grains only

Rice Distribution Channels

Blend at point-of-use

Blend in mills

Blend in warehouse

Public Sector/Food Aid Programs Public Sector/Food Aid Programs (School Feeding, Dry Rations, etc.)(School Feeding, Dry Rations, etc.)

Ultra Rice Grain ManufacturerRice Millers

Super/ Hypermarts

Large Retailer

Ultra Rice Pilots in India: 250,000 children

Ultra Rice Pilots in Brazil: 76,000 children

Rice Distribution Channels


Small Retail, Open

Markets

Consumers



Blend in mills

Blend in warehouse



Super/ Hypermarts

Large Retailer

Technology AttributesAttributes Current Grain Opportunity for Improvement

Nutrient Content • Iron (FePP), Thiamin, Folic acid, Zinc

• Add Vitamin A• May also enhance uptake of iron

Cost • Incremental cost of $15-$20 to fortify one MT of rice

•Use more bioavailable iron to reduce quantity needed• Find substitute for expensive

binders• Target is <$10 to fortify one MT of

rice

Performance • Minerals fully retained•Lose up to 40% of vitamins under rigorous preparation conditions

• Enhance grain strength through heat or other means to reduce losses

Appearance • Manufactured on cold extrusion equipment, slightly opaque

• Enhance translucency to reduce probability that grains will be picked-out before cooking

•Manufactured on double-screw hot extrusion equipment; expensive and not prevalent

•Optimize manufacturing on single screw hot extruders, which are more prevalent in the developing world

Reaching Scale: Technology Refinement

Iron substitute/enhancer

Vitamin A/Iron

Heat in manufacturing

process*

Reduce Cost

EnhanceAppearance

Expand Nutrients

Optimization R&D Nutritional value/access

Maximize impact

Improve Performance

Deliver Vitamin A and enhance uptake of iron

Use less iron and enhance bioavailability

• Substitute heat for costly binders

•Potentially improve retention of vitamins

• Improve translucency

• Manufacturing flexibility

*Single screw hot extruders and/or adding steam to a cold manufacturing process

Reaching Scale: Technology Refinement

Iron substitute/enhancer

Vitamin A/Iron

Heat in manufacturing

process*

Reduce Cost

EnhanceAppearance

Expand Nutrients

Improve Performance

*Single screw hot extruders and/or adding steam to a cold manufacturing process

Partners

Abbott Corporation: nutritional scientists(pro-bono contribution)

Kansas State University:(single screw hot extruders)

Northern Crops Institute at North Dakota State University: (cold extrusion plus steam)

USDA Food and Agricultural Service

Partners

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)

WFP School Meals Programme• 500,000 primary schoolchildren in the Ministry of Education/WFP school meals program.

•McGovern-Dole Program covers funding for food commodities (rice, canned fish, legumes, etc.) and operational costs.

Reaching Scale: Test Improved Technology

World Food Programme (WFP) Cambodia

Biological Impact Assessment•16 schools in Kampong Speu province in Cambodia

4 schools:No school meal (control)

4 schools:Standard meal (double control)

4 schools: UR new version (vitamin A and enhanced iron)

Baseline: Deworming + assessment for anthropometry, micronutrient status, parasite infestation and cognition

End-point assessment: Anthropometry, micronutrient status, parasite infestation, and cognition

No school meal

Standard school meal

UR new in school meal

Study Design = 500 per arm = 2000 children

4 schools:UR current version (no vitamin A)

UR current in

school meal5 mo assessment: Anthropometry , micronutrient status and cognition

No school meal

Standard school meal

UR current inschool meal

UR new in school meal

Expanding the Evidence Base• Incremental impact of new Ultra Rice grain over the

current formulation. Further evidence for scale-up.

• First biological impact assessment of fortified rice in SE Asia.

• First assessment of fortified rice on cognition and anthropometry (weight, height, muscle mass).

Innovation within Delivery System


Small Retail, Open

Markets

Consumers



Blend in mills

Blend in warehouse



Super/ Hypermarts

Large Retailer

Blending in Warehouse: Burundi USDA Food Aid Nutritional Enhancement Program

Indian equipment manufacturer: Toshniwal PATH developed prototype

Blending in Warehouse: Burundi • Training warehouse staff

• Blending operation and quality control (5 people)• Maintenance & trouble-shooting (2 people)• Total training: over 40 man hours (4 days)

• Quality & traceability• Recording of homogeneity( %), date of blending,

batch number, date of manufacturing, date of dispatch.

• Results• Average UR blend = 1.04% (target 1%)• Coefficient of variation = 15.9% (< 20% sufficient)• No change in homogeneity during transport to schools• PATH blending machine => target price $300

Blending at Rice Mills: WFP Cambodia• Donated rice and Ultra Rice stored in WFP’s warehouses.

• All commodities shipped to rice mills to be blended.• Validation studies already conducted on batch and

continuous blenders.• Used brown rice in lieu of Ultra Rice to assess blend

efficiency and effectiveness.• Results: coefficient of variation between 10-20%, under two

minutes to achieve homogenous blend in batch blend process.

• Fortified rice bagged, delivered back to WFP warehouses, and

stored until dispatched to the schools.

Process Innovation:

PUSH PULL

Harnessing the private sector

Looking Forward• Additional biological and operational evidence: • Approved commodities list of WFP and USDA• National policy change• Programmatic policy change

• Further scenarios of integration need to be piloted in order to facilitate uptake once approved.

• PATH can offer technical assistance and tools to the global development community.

Summary

• Innovation goes well beyond the technology.

• Innovation within food aid can spillover into local market development (and vice versa).

• Fortified rice is ready for scale-up by the global development community.

Thank You

international food aid conference: nutrition panel dipika matthias project director, path may 2012...

Documents

fortified rice

rice mills

rice flour

brown rice

milled rice

ultra rice pilots

wfp cambodiadonated

manufactured rice grain