Iron fortified rice for Food for School Program
SAN JOSE, Antique — El Niño phenomenon has affected more and more families especially the farmers.
To help ease their situation, NFA re-opened the NFA-DepEd Food for School Program to uphold the required food supply of the country in times of calamity as contained in their mandate.
In the NFA-DepEd Food for School Program, distribution of rice to pre-schoolers to Grade III public school pupils good for seven days will be undertaken. Also, the NFA-DSWD Food for School Program will help the affected families. The latter projected to distribute Iron Fortified Rice for pre-schoolers of Day Care Centers province wide good for seventy days.
NFA as implementing agency promotes Rice Fortification Program in consonance with RA 8976 or Food Fortification Act. Iron Rice Premix and Well Milled Rice (WMR) will be mixed to produce Iron Fortified Rice (IFR) to provide substantial nutritious food for the beneficiaries. The mixed rice was specially prepared for the pupils. Yellow rice or the Iron Fortified Rice was distributed by NFA to prop up the needed nutrients of the youngs. Among the benefits of eating Iron Fortified Rice are the following: prevention of iron deficiency anemia, building alert mind of the youngs and help resist infections. Iron Fortified Rice (IFR) is safe to eat because the fortificant used was approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The Fortification process wherein the rice used was coated with the fortificant passed through careful study of experts on food and there is no over dosage. This was intended for the pupils to nourish their health.
Meanwhile, the role of teachers, is to deliver desired education to the parents regarding the Yellow Rice or the Iron Fortified Rice (IFR) to ensure the success of the program.
On how to cook Iron Fortified Rice, NFA gives the following tips; do not remove the yellow rice or the Iron Rice Premix because it contains iron essential for the health, and wash the rice once or twice only so that iron won’t be cleansed away. (NFA/PIA)
