'Ultra Rice' piloted as way to tackle malnutrition

Ultra Rice, a rice-shaped pasta fortified with vitamins and minerals is "being produced and tested around the world as a potential solution to malnutrition," according to the Seattle Times. Produced by the nonprofit PATH, Ultra Rice is currently being piloted by the Indian and Brazilian governments in lunch programs and by the U.N. World Food Program in Cambodia. Each grain of Ultra Rice is combined with approximately 100 grains of ordinary rice.

The newspaper notes that the "rice" is customized "to meet the needs of each country - in India, that's iron; in Brazil it's a combination of micronutrients." The price of the grain is "2 to 5 percent" higher than ordinary rice so "widespread distribution depends on government support and companies' willingness to limit their profit margins." The article traces the history of fortified rice back to 1985.  PATH has "licensed the technology for free" to partners in Brazil, India and Columbia and works with local manufacturers to produce Ultra Rice (Heim, 7/24).