Field trial for ‘golden rice’ readied

The Department of Agriculture-attached agency Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a step closer to making the ‘golden rice’ available in the market after it secured an application for field trial and biosafety permit for food, feed and processing.

The Golden Rice Project, which started in 2016, recently completed its confined field trial, confirming that golden rice is as safe and nutritious as ordinary rice.

The government said consumers need not worry about price as it would be similarly priced as the ordinary rice available in the market.

While it is no different from other rice varieties, Golden Rice Project leader Roel Suralta said the genetically engineered rice had beta carotene content, which when ingested is converted to vitamin A.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), a cup of golden rice could provide up to half of the body’s vitamin A needs and could reduce the prevalence of Vitamin-A Deficiency (VAD) among women and young children.

There are 2.1 million Vitamin-A deficient children in the country while about 9 and 5 percent of pregnant and lactating mothers, respectively, are also affected, according to data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

VAD can weaken the immune system and decrease the body’s ability to resist or fight common infections like measles and pneumonia, thereby increasing the risk of death. It may also result in permanent or partial blindness if left untreated.

In the Philippines, the VAD-attributed death among children is 1,840 a year as reported by the United Nations Children’s Fund or Unicef.

Golden rice will be available in the market after PhilRice has completed all required tests and evaluations approved by the National Food Authority (NFA).