PATH has successfully introduced the Ultra Rice® technology to India, Brazil, and Colombia and has made substantial progress in China.
India
In 2008, PATH successfully transferred the Ultra Rice technology to Swagat Food Products (P) Ltd., a pasta manufacturer located in West Bengal. In partnership with Swagat, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the Naandi Foundation, PATH is currently supplying Ultra Rice through Naandi’s centralized kitchen in Vishakhapatnam, India. There, rice fortified with micronutrient-packed Ultra Rice is being served daily to 60,000 children under the government-sponsored Mid-day Meal Scheme. Plans are under way to replicate this model within additional Naandi kitchens located throughout the region.
The Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, continues to generously support promising research into the efficacy and effectiveness of Ultra Rice in multiple locations and demographic groups.
In addition, a government-sponsored regional technology transfer center is now in the process of being established to transfer the Ultra Rice formulation and manufacturing know-how to future commercial partners, ensuring widespread access to the technology in South and Southeast Asia.
Brazil
In 2008, PATH and the Brazilian pasta manufacturer Adorella Alimentos Ltda partnered to bring Ultra Rice to Brazilian markets and generate a ready, local supply for two government-sponsored pilot trials scheduled to commence in February 2010 and targeted to specific populations vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies.
A government-sponsored regional technology transfer center—similar to that being developed in India—is being established in Brazil to support widespread access to the technology in the Latin American region.
Colombia
PATH transferred the Ultra Rice technology in 2005 to Unión de Arroceros S.A., a rice miller in Colombia. Arroceros now plans to import Ultra Rice grains from PATH’s manufacturing partner in Brazil and blend them with their traditional rice supplies. The city of Medellin is eager to resume serving rice fortified with Ultra Rice within their school lunch program (serving 66,000 children daily). Several other municipalities have also expressed interest in pursuing effectiveness trials with Ultra Rice technology in 2010. The government is also considering a mandate for fortified rice. PATH expects data collected from the effectiveness trials to inform future policy work.
China
After an extensive study of potential manufacturing partners, PATH has identified Longevity Vita Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., as its first commercial partner in China. As a nutrient supplier, Longevity Vita plans to integrate pasta-extrusion machinery into its Beijing factory and produce Ultra Rice grains. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, with a substantial ownership share in Longevity Vita, will be a key partner in the commercialization and introduction of Ultra Rice in China.
Ultra Rice is a registered trademark of Bon Dente International, Inc. in the United States.
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