Abstract
A key unknown in the strategy of breeding for micronutrient-dense staple food crops is the bioavailability of the additional trace minerals in nutritionally improved lines. This paper describes a feeding trial to be undertaken in the Philippines during 2001 using human subjects that will examine the effect on iron status of long-term consumption of IR68-144, a high-yielding, aromatic, iron-dense rice that is currently undergoing agronomic testing at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The subjects will be religious sisters-in-training who live year-round in convents in Greater Manila.
This population was selected because they represent a sex and age segment of the population at high risk for iron deficiency. The iron status of the sample of 27 sisters indicates that 74% were anaemic (haemoglobin <120 g/L) and 48% iron deficient (serum ferritin <12 μg/L). These subjects consume large quantities of rice (400 g/day), and all their meals are prepared in common kitchens where different varieties of rice can be easily introduced to the menu. A pilot study found that the introduction of IR68-144 rice was highly tolerated by the kitchen staff who prepared the rice and the sisters who consumed it. There were no perceived differences in taste, texture, colour, or other properties compared with the commercial variety normally consumed.
The high prevalence of iron deficiency, the considerable amount of rice consumed, the high level of cooperation of the subjects, and the structured routine of the convent make this an ideal research setting to investigate the effect of improving iron intakes through a staple food.