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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #309028
Title: Developing and delivering biofortified Rice to the consumer

Author
item McClung, Anna
item Chen, Ming Hsuan

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/2/2014
Publication Date: 11/2/2014
Citation: Mcclung, A.M., Chen, M. 2014. Developing and delivering biofortified rice to the consumer. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts, November 2-5, 2014, Long Beach, CA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Biofortified rice varieties include those that have been enhanced for protein, vitamins, minerals, or other nutritional compounds. Delivering biofortified rice varieties carries with it extra challenges as compared to conventional varieties. Nutritional compounds must be present at significantly higher levels than commonly found and stable across different production environments. In addition, the compounds must have value to the end user along with no negative impacts on cooking or sensory properties and be delivered in a variety that has reasonable agronomic traits for production. Generally such novel products will have to be produced outside of the typical commodity stream and be identity preserved from the field to the end user. The discovery and development of biofortified rice varieties may be easier than the ability to deliver these to the marketplace. There have been a few research efforts to develop biofortified rice varieties using traditional breeding methods. However, none of these have been able to clear all of the hurdles to result in a commercial success. New genomic technologies are now available that may facilitate such breeding efforts. Over the last ten years, we have been working to develop a market for the rice variety IAC 600 which was developed by the Instituto Agronomico in Campinas, Brazil. This is a purple bran cultivar that has been found to have high levels of anti-oxidant phytochemicals that have been linked with health benefits. This variety has the advantage that it looks unique and has an appealing aromatic, nutty flavor when cooked. These sensory properties have direct culinary appreciation and have served to help build market demand. Biofortified rice varieties that are targeted for the rice food market, versus being used as an ingredient, must include desired sensory properties to be accepted. This is even more important than agronomic productivity.