To address the deficiency of micronutrients in the regular diet of children in schools, starting this year, all schools under the WFP feeding programme will receive fortified rice.
Rice fortification is the practice of increasing the content of essential vitamins and minerals after harvesting to increase its nutritional value.
As rice is a staple food, it is the best vehicle to carry the needed nutrients.
A study done by the health ministry to assess the level of micro nutrient deficiencies following the outbreak of peripheral neuropathy in school children, found there was a huge deficiency in micronutrients.
Nutrition Programme Officer of health ministry, Laigden said foods that are being provided in schools were not enough to meet the requirements of the school children.
“Food fortification per say is a very innovative and very good intervention that will actually incorporate the micro nutrients which is otherwise very hard to get from the school meals.”
Fortified rice will initially be distributed to 172 schools with WFP feeding programme.
Fortified rice is made by mixing rice flour with vitamins, minerals and water. The mixture is then made into a dough. After that, the dough is passed through a machine that cuts it into rice shaped grains. A small amount of this rice is mixed with the ordinary white rice to add in the micronutrients.
“Since everybody eats rice, just add it to the rice and that way it tastes exactly the same. And you make sure that children get the necessary micronutrients. It is the young people who are growing, they are the future. So we want to give them a good start in life,” said the WFP Representative, Piet Vochten.
The government is also planning to supply fortified rice to other schools that are not included in the WFP feeding programme.
This initiative plans to provide adequate levels of micronutrients in the diet of school children.
