Artificial rice

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Artificial rice is a grain product made to resemble rice. It is usually made from broken rice, sometimes with the addition of other cereals, and often fortified with micronutrients, including minerals, such as iron and zinc, and vitamins, such as vitamin A and vitamin B.

Contents

Manufacture

Rice-making machines exist that allow broken rice or other ingredients to be shaped into rice-shaped pellets. [1] Rice fortification presents numerous technical problems. Micronutrients cannot be simply added to the kernels, because they do not stay where they are needed and the traditional soaking and rinsing of rice with water prior to cooking removes most of the added nutrients.

In the hot extrusion process, rice flour and micronutrients are transformed into a product visually resembling natural rice. Thereby, vitamins and minerals are embedded and protected from segregation and from being removed through rinsing or leaching out during washing and cooking.

NutriRice

NutriRice is a kind of recomposed fortified rice. The NutriRice process is a way of rice fortification utilized hot extrusion technology not only addresses the problem of hidden hunger but also meets the challenge of implementing rice fortification. [2] The production of NutriRice offers the unique possibility to efficiently fortify rice with multiple micronutrients. Vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A and B family as well as iron and zinc can be chosen for inclusion.

Research

With respect to fortified rice properties, such as wash stability, shelf stability, cooking behavior, visual appearance, and cooked rice texture, hot extrusion can be recommended to produce the fortified rice kernel. The fortified rice kernel through hot extrusion most closely resembles natural rice after cooking. [3] [4]

Dandelion Middle School

The children of 600 migrant workers attend the Dandelion Middle School in Beijing, some of them as resident pupils. In 2008, as part of a pilot project, all pupils at the school were given NutriRice for a period of 8 months. During the eight-month trial period, the effects of malnutrition were reduced by 50%, thus raising the pupils’ general nutritional status to the average urban level. [5]

Ultra Rice

Ultra Rice is a grain product made to resemble rice and fortified with vitamins and nutrients. Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) developed Ultra Rice as a food supplement for use in countries where people do not have easy access to food which satisfies the nutritional requirements for good health.

Manufacture

Ultra Rice was developed by Dr. James P. Cox and his wife Jeanne over a course of 20 years, starting in the 1960s while living in Canada.

Jim and Jeanne's idea was to utilitize the wasted broken rice grains and produce a nutrition-enhanced instant rice product to fight world hunger. The first criteria for feeding the people was to create a nutritious food that could be identified by the indigenous people. Second, the food should be easy to prepare, even in the crudest method on a dung burner, in less than five minutes, all the while maintaining its integrity as a recognized food. The rice should be fortified with protein and contain vitamins A and D. [6]

The process Dr. and Mrs. Cox developed was more expensive to execute than the market value of the product and they eventually transferred their patent for the process to PATH. [7]

Ultra Rice was first made generally available in 2005. [8]

The grains resemble milled rice grains in size, shape, and color, but actually they are made from rice flour, added nutrients, and ingredients which preserve the nutrients.

Use

Most Ultra Rice products are designed for blending with white rice in a ratio of 1:100 and intended to be as close as possible to rice in smell, taste, and texture.

It was originally used in Brazil, Colombia, and India, but through a partnership with World Vision the product is slated to be used in many developing countries receiving aid.

Research

Researchers assessed the stability of Ultra Rice's vitamins as the rice is stored; ascorbate, saturated fat and antioxidants were found to help keep the vitamin A intact during storage in high humidity. [9] Another study found that vitamin A losses would stabilize after six months and that the loss of vitamin A during cooking could be predicted. [10]

A lack of vitamin A can cause night blindness; a study in 2005 showed that 348 pregnant Nepali women who ate Ultra Rice had improvement in night vision which did not different significantly from the improvement which could come from vitamin A as liver, carrots, capsule, or green leafy vegetables. [11]

A ferric pyrophosphate in Ultra Rice was shown in a study involving 180 lactating nonpregnant women in Mexico to reduce iron deficiency anemia rates in the study population by 80% and iron deficiency by 29%. [12]

A taste panel has shown that most people cannot differentiate between ordinary rice and Ultra Rice by taste, and various other reports have shown that there is no statistically significant difference of taste preference between Ultra Rice and rice. [13] [14] In a study on 134 children aged 8–11 years old participating in the Indian Mid-day Meal Scheme, [15] 37 assessed the difference between samples and 43 subjects assessed the acceptability of fortified rice.

Partners

After PATH developed Ultra Rice many other entities began to participate in its manufacture, distributing, and the tracking of its efficacy.

Ultra Rice is usually manufactured within the country using it.[ citation needed ]

The Department of Biotechnology (India), Ministry of Agriculture (Brazil), Universidade Federal de Viçosa (Brazil), and the University of Toronto (Canada) contributed to the research and development of the Ultra Rice plan. [16]

In India the Akshaya Patra Foundation and the Naandi Foundation implement the Ultra Rice Project. Elsewhere the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, World Vision, and World Food Programme created implementation programs.

The Ultra Rice project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Response

In 2009 The Tech Museum of Innovation recognized PATH for Ultra Rice with an award in recognition of its use of technology to solve major world problems. [17]

Other grains

Corn rice

In North Korea, an artificial "corn rice", known as Okssal (옥쌀) or Gangnagssal (강낭쌀) was made from maize. [18] It is also fairly popular in the Philippines where locals use it as a cheaper substitute for white rice.[ citation needed ]

Konjac rice

Konjac rice was developed for low-calorie diet. [19]

Plastic rice rumours

Rice made from plastic and passed off as real rice has sometimes been reported in the media. In India, it was mentioned in a case before the high court, [20] but the reports were not confirmed. [21] In December 2016, it was reported that 2.5 tonnes of plastic rice had been seized in Nigeria. [22] A few weeks later, after preliminary tests, a spokesperson of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health stated that the material contained all the characteristics of real rice and there was no evidence that plastic rice was circulating in the country; [23] the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control later announced that the seized rice had been contaminated with bacteria. [24] [25] Fake rice was also reported on social media in the Philippines. [26] In 2017, there were rumours of plastic rice in the Gambia and Ghana, but these rumours were not confirmed. The Ghana Food and Drugs Authority carried out an investigation and found out samples suspected to be fake rice were not real. [27]

Snopes, a website that investigates urban legends, concluded that such reports were either hoaxes or unproven, pointing out that plastic rice grains would easily be detected after cooking, and probably more expensive to produce than real rice. [28] Reasons suggested for the persistence of such "myths" included protectionism and distrust of foreign imports, with fake videos being deliberately used to support locally grown rice. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

A macrobiotic diet is a fad diet based on ideas about types of food drawn from Zen Buddhism. The diet tries to balance the supposed yin and yang elements of food and cookware. Major principles of macrobiotic diets are to reduce animal products, eat locally grown foods that are in season, and consume meals in moderation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitamin</span> Nutrients required by organisms in small amounts

Vitamins are organic molecules that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolic function. Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized in the organism in sufficient quantities for survival, and therefore must be obtained through the diet. For example, Vitamin C can be synthesized by some species but not by others; it is not considered a vitamin in the first instance but is in the second. Most vitamins are not single molecules, but groups of related molecules called vitamers. For example, there are eight vitamers of vitamin E: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folate</span> Vitamin B9; nutrient essential for DNA synthesis

Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and storage. Folate is required for the body to make DNA and RNA and metabolise amino acids necessary for cell division. As the human body cannot make folate, it is required in the diet, making it an essential nutrient. It occurs naturally in many foods. The recommended adult daily intake of folate in the U.S. is 400 micrograms from foods or dietary supplements.

A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excreted by cells to create non-cellular structures, such as hair, scales, feathers, or exoskeletons. Some nutrients can be metabolically converted to smaller molecules in the process of releasing energy, such as for carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and fermentation products, leading to end-products of water and carbon dioxide. All organisms require water. Essential nutrients for animals are the energy sources, some of the amino acids that are combined to create proteins, a subset of fatty acids, vitamins and certain minerals. Plants require more diverse minerals absorbed through roots, plus carbon dioxide and oxygen absorbed through leaves. Fungi live on dead or living organic matter and meet nutrient needs from their host.

Vitamin deficiency is the condition of a long-term lack of a vitamin. When caused by not enough vitamin intake it is classified as a primary deficiency, whereas when due to an underlying disorder such as malabsorption it is called a secondary deficiency. An underlying disorder can have 2 main causes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food processing</span> Transformation of raw ingredients into food, or of food into other forms

Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing takes many forms, from grinding grain into raw flour, home cooking, and complex industrial methods used in the making of convenience foods. Some food processing methods play important roles in reducing food waste and improving food preservation, thus reducing the total environmental impact of agriculture and improving food security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White bread</span> Type of bread made from white wheat flour

White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-colored flour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micronutrient</span> Essential elements required by organisms

Micronutrients are essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements vary among organisms. Humans and other animals require numerous vitamins and dietary minerals. Plants tend not to require vitamins, however minerals are required still. For human nutrition, micronutrient requirements are in amounts generally less than 100 milligrams per day, whereas macronutrients are required in gram quantities daily.

Enriched flour is flour with specific nutrients returned to it that have been lost while being prepared. These restored nutrients include iron and B vitamins. Calcium may also be supplemented. The purpose of enriching flour is to replenish the nutrients in the flour to match the nutritional status of the unrefined product. This differentiates enrichment from fortification, which is the process of introducing new nutrients to a food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parboiled rice</span> Partially cooked rice

Parboiled rice is rice that has been partially boiled in the husk. The three basic steps of parboiling are soaking, steaming and drying. These steps make the rice easier to process by hand, while also boosting its nutritional profile, changing its texture, and making it more resistant to weevils. The treatment is practiced in many parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant milk</span> Milk-like drink made from plant-based ingredients

Plant milk is a plant beverage with a color resembling that of milk. Plant milks are non-dairy beverages made from a water-based plant extract for flavoring and aroma. Plant milks are consumed as alternatives to dairy milk, and may provide a creamy mouthfeel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk substitute</span> Alternative substance that resembles milk

A milk substitute is any substance that resembles milk and can be used in the same ways as milk. Such substances may be variously known as non-dairy beverage, nut milk, grain milk, legume milk, mock milk and alternative milk.

Food fortification or enrichment is the process of adding micronutrients to food. It can be carried out by food manufacturers, or by governments as a public health policy which aims to reduce the number of people with dietary deficiencies within a population. The predominant diet within a region can lack particular nutrients due to the local soil or from inherent deficiencies within the staple foods; the addition of micronutrients to staples and condiments can prevent large-scale deficiency diseases in these cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oat milk</span> Type of plant milk made from oats

Oat milk is a plant milk derived from whole oat grains by extracting the plant material with water. Oat milk has a creamy texture and mild oatmeal-like flavor, and is manufactured in various flavors, such as sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitamin A deficiency</span> Disease resulting from low Vitamin A concentrations in the body

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) or hypovitaminosis A is a lack of vitamin A in blood and tissues. It is common in poorer countries, especially among children and women of reproductive age, but is rarely seen in more developed countries. Nyctalopia is one of the first signs of VAD, as the vitamin has a major role in phototransduction; but it is also the first symptom that is reversed when vitamin A is consumed again. Xerophthalmia, keratomalacia, and complete blindness can follow if the deficiency is more severe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refined grains</span> Cereal containing endosperm, but not bran nor germ

Refined grains have been significantly modified from their natural composition, in contrast to whole grains. The modification process generally involves the mechanical removal of bran and germ, either through grinding or selective sifting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biofortification</span> Breeding crops for higher nutritional value

Biofortification is the idea of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value. This can be done either through conventional selective breeding, or through genetic engineering. Biofortification differs from ordinary fortification because it focuses on making plant foods more nutritious as the plants are growing, rather than having nutrients added to the foods when they are being processed. This is an important improvement on ordinary fortification when it comes to providing nutrients for the rural poor, who rarely have access to commercially fortified foods. As such, biofortification is seen as an upcoming strategy for dealing with deficiencies of micronutrients in low and middle-income countries. In the case of iron, the WHO estimated that biofortification could help curing the 2 billion people suffering from iron deficiency-induced anemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutrition International (organization)</span> Nonprofit organization

Nutrition International, formerly the Micronutrient Initiative (MI), is an international not for profit agency based in Canada that works to eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies in developing countries. Although often only required by the body in very small amounts, vitamin and minerals – also known as micronutrients – support an array of critical biological functions including growth, immune function and eye function, as well as foetal development of the brain, the nervous system, and the skeletal system. Micronutrient deficiency is a form of malnutrition and is a recognized health problem in many developing countries. Globally, more than two billion people live with vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Vitamin B<sub>3</sub> Class of chemically related vitamers

Vitamin B3, colloquially referred to as niacin, is a vitamin family that includes three forms, or vitamers: niacin (nicotinic acid), nicotinamide (niacinamide), and nicotinamide riboside. All three forms of vitamin B3 are converted within the body to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is required for human life and people are unable to make it within their bodies without either vitamin B3 or tryptophan. Nicotinamide riboside was identified as a form of vitamin B3 in 2004.

Rice is commonly consumed as food around the world. It occurs in long-, medium-, and short-grained types. It is the staple food of over half the world's population.

References

  1. ↑ "Artificial rice making machine". alibaba.com. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Roland, Kunz. "A breakthrough in rice fortification".
  3. ↑ Mueller, Fischer (2009). "Structuring of starch matrices". Internal Report. Buehler.
  4. ↑ Steiger, Georg (2014). "Fortification of rice: technologies and nutrients". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1324 (1): 29–39. Bibcode:2014NYASA1324...29S. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12418 . PMID   24913257. S2CID   37036640.
  5. ↑ "NutriRice hot extrusion technology - breakthrough in rice fortification" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "Exploring the Origins of Ultra Rice". ultrarice.wordpress.com. WordPress. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.[ self-published source ]
  7. ↑ Heim, Kristi (24 July 2010). "Ultra Rice: Whatcom County invention holds hope for health". seattletimes.nwsource.com. Seattle Times . Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  8. ↑ "USAID: Science and Technology – Ultra Rice®". usaid.gov. USAID. 2011. Archived from the original on 2 June 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  9. ↑ Murphy, PA; Smith, B; Hauck, C; O' Connor, K (1992). "Stabilization of Vitamin A in a synthetic rice premix". Journal of Food Science . 57 (2): 437–439. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.1992.tb05511.x.
  10. ↑ Flores, H; Guerra, NB; Cavalcanti, ACA; Campos, FACS; Azevedo, MCNA; Silva, MBM (1994). "Bioavailability of Vitamin A in a synthetic rice premix". Journal of Food Science . 59 (2): 371–372, 377. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.1994.tb06969.x.
  11. ↑ Haskell, MJ; Pandey, P; Graham, JM; Shrestha, RK; Brown, KH (2005). "Recovery from impaired dark adaptation in night-blind pregnant Nepali women who receive small daily doses of vitamin A as amaranth leaves, carrots, goat liver, vitamin A-fortified rice or retinyl palmitate". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . 81 (2): 461–71. doi: 10.1093/ajcn.81.2.461 . PMID   15699236.
  12. ↑ Hotz, C.; Porcayo, M.; Onofre, G.; García-Guerra, A.; Elliott, T.; Jankowski, S.; Greiner, T. (2008). "Efficacy of iron-fortified Ultra Rice in improving the iron status of women in Mexico". Food and Nutrition Bulletin. 29 (2): 140–149. doi: 10.1177/156482650802900208 . PMID   18693478. S2CID   23483498.
  13. ↑ Indian Market Research Bureau International (2003). "Potential Introduction of Ultra Rice in India: Complete Market Assessment". Unpublished report prepared for PATH.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)[ self-published source ]
  14. ↑ Brahman GNV, Nair KM. "Evaluation of Bio-effect of Ultra Rice on Iron Status of Beneficiaries of MDM – a Study in a School of Rangareddy District of Andhra Pradesh". Unpublished report. Project funded by DBT, Govt. of India (No. BT/PR-7003/PID/20/269/2005).{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)[ self-published source ]
  15. ↑ Beinner MA, et al. (2009). "Iron-Fortified Rice Is As Efficacious As Supplemental Iron Drops in Infants and Young Children". Journal of Nutrition . 140 (140): 49–53. doi: 10.3945/jn.109.112623 . PMID   19889805 . Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "PATH: Ultra Rice technology: at a glance". path.org. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  17. ↑ "The Tech Museum Awards – Technology Benefiting Humanity". techawards.org. The Tech Museum of Innovation. 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 2009 Nokia Health Award
  18. ↑ Cwiertka, Katarzyna J. (2013). Cuisine, Colonialism and Cold War: Food in Twentieth-Century Korea. Reaktion Books. p. 167. ISBN   9781780230733.
  19. ↑ "Startup Innovation Challenge 2018 nominees: Alternative proteins, upcycling side-streams".
  20. ↑ "HC to hear plea on Chinese 'plastic' rice in India". The Times of India. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  21. ↑ Deepalakshmi, K. (7 June 2017). "Is 'plastic rice' for real?" . Retrieved 12 July 2017. As far as India is concerned, 'plastic rice' has never been seized so far
  22. ↑ "Plastic Rice seized in Nigeria". BBC News. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  23. ↑ "No plastic rice in Nigeria, say Adewole, NAFDAC - TheCable". TheCable. 24 December 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  24. ↑ "No plastic rice in Nigeria, says NAFDAC". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  25. ↑ "Nigeria rice 'contaminated, not plastic' - NAFDAC". BBC News. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  26. ↑ "Netizen Discovers Fake Rice Made Of Plastic". 15 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  27. 1 2 Subedar, Anisa (5 July 2017). "BBC Trending: Why people believe the myth of 'plastic rice" . Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  28. ↑ "Bas-Not-i - Plastic Rice From China". snopes.com. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
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