CALL FOR AUTHORS - Fortification of rice with vitamins and minerals: Technical considerations
Food technologists, food chemists and nutrition lead authors for review papers on: Fortification of rice with vitamins and minerals: technical considerations
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently working on the update of global guidelines on fortification of rice with vitamins and minerals as part of public health programmes. Rice annual production and consumption is around 450 million tons and provides more than half of the daily energy and protein intake for 3 billion people worldwide. Food fortification is recognized as an effective way to deliver micronutrients, providing meaningful amounts of nutrients at regular consumption portions of the food vehicle. Since rice is produced and consumed in developing countries and constitute a main source of calories and proteins, it complies with the requirements to be considered as a vehicle for food fortification programmes.
There are different rice types and preparations with a high cultural significance and a variable degree of micronutrient stabilities and retentions. Rinsing, soaking, excess water, frying and boiling practices are some aspects that could influence the rice fortification process. A technical challenge is to produce fortified rice that resembles natural rice and resist normal meal preparation and cooking processes.
The main rice processing method is milling, removing germ and bran layers and rendering white rice, with lower protein, vitamin and mineral content. Rice fortification technology has developed in the last years producing spray-coated fortified grains resistant to washing procedures and also hot or cold extruded grains. The fortified grains, resembling the natural ones as possible, will be blended with natural rice in different proportions.
In addition to an ongoing Cochrane systematic review on the nutritional and health effects of rice fortification in public health, the Evidence and Programme Guidance Unit at the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, is seeking to commission nine review papers on several topics related to rice production, processing, consumption and fortification (see next page).
Suitable authors, working independently or as part of working teams, can submit their letter of interest by sending an email to WHO at micronutrients@who.int no later than 22 June, 2012.
Kindly attach in your message the following documentation:
- A brief curriculum vitae of the author(s), demonstrating their needed technical expertise including a list of relevant publications.
- Proposed title of the paper
- A 300-word abstract outlining the issues that will be addressed in the full paper. The abstract should include the topics found in the table on the next page, as well as other relevant issues.
- An expression of commitment to completing the paper no later than 14 September, following WHO instructions for authors.
Selected authors will be notified by 30 June 2012. Small amounts of funding to support development of the papers may be available in select cases with a demonstrated need.
The World Health Organization in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition is convening a Consultation: Technical Considerations for Rice Fortification in Public Health in Geneva, Switzerland 9-10 October 2012 to discuss these issues in detail. The objective of this consultation is to review the industrial and regulatory technical considerations in rice fortification. Authors are expected to present their work at this meeting and these papers will be published in a peer-review journal.