PATH has successfully introduced the Ultra Rice® technology to Brazil and Colombia in South America and has made substantial progress in China and India.

Brazil

In 2008, PATH and our Brazilian partner Camil Alimentos will bring Ultra Rice to Brazilian markets and generate a ready, local supply for two government-sponsored pilot trials in populations vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies. A government technology transfer center is being trained to transfer the Ultra Rice technology to future commercial partners, ensuring widespread access to the technology in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries well beyond the duration of this project.

China

PATH recently conducted a market research study in China to gain insights on potential introduction strategies. Now a search for potential commercial partners is underway. To spark interest among potential manufacturers and to ensure that fortified rice reaches poor and rural areas, PATH will target the government’s program to create a “new socialist countryside.” This initiative seeks to establish a centralized food supply chain in rural areas to address inequality and improve food safety.

Colombia

In Colombia, the Ultra Rice technology is fortifying rice on the commercial market and in recent years has been reaching 66,000 poor school children daily through a social program that provides mid-day meals. Colombian welfare agencies and the Bogotá office of the World Food Programme have expressed interest in conducting a pilot trial to assess consumer acceptance and efficacy of rice fortified with iron using the Ultra Rice technology. This research is expected to begin in 2008.

India

PATH food technologists are transferring the Ultra Rice technology to Swagat Foods, an Indian company that will supply Ultra Rice for upcoming demonstration trials. In addition, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is planning to fund a large-scale trial that will provide school children with fortified rice through India’s midday meal program. The Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has become a champion of Ultra Rice, providing funding to the National Institute of Nutrition for studies that have found the taste of Ultra Rice was acceptable or good for 86 percent of school children, and that 98 percent of the iron was retained, even after the rice was rinsed multiple times before cooking. An expanded efficacy trial on iron absorption is underway.

Ultra Rice is a registered trademark of Bon Dente International, Inc. in the United States.