Rice As a Vehicle for Micronutrient Fortification: a Systematic Review of Micronutrient Retention, Organoleptic Properties, and Consumer Acceptability

Context: Previous reviews have focused on evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of rice fortification, despite the need to also understand the outcomes of micronutrient retention, organoleptic properties, and acceptability to inform nutrition programs.

Objective: This systematic review aims to consolidate existing evidence on micronutrient retention, organoleptic properties, and acceptability of fortified rice.

Data Sources: Eligible articles were identified from 22 electronic databases and personal referrals and reviews.

Study Selection: Studies on rice fortified via extrusion or coating technologies were included in the review if they reported outcomes in at least 1 of 3 domains: micronutrient retention, organoleptic or physicochemical properties, and acceptability (evaluated by sensory tests and consumer surveys). Any years of publication and study populations were considered for inclusion. A total of 15 391 articles were screened, yielding 49 for inclusion.

Data Extraction: Study results were summarized descriptively through discussions by intervention conditions, study population, measurement methods, and key findings. The included studies were independently reviewed by 2 of the 3 authors, and all 3 authors reached consensus on the quality and major findings from the included articles.

Results: Extrusion and coating fortification technologies were found to be comparable across studies that assessed retention, organoleptic properties, and acceptability. Cooking fortified rice in excess water increased micronutrient loss for both technologies. Fortified kernels containing ferric pyrophosphate, zinc oxide, or zinc sulfate showed the most positive results for all outcomes reviewed, while retention rates of vitamin A in multiple-micronutrient-fortified rice were variable.

Conclusions: The current practice of fortifying rice with ferric pyrophosphate provides high micronutrient stability and results in rice with organoleptic properties and consumer acceptance levels comparable to those of unfortified milled rice, although it presents challenges regarding the effect of vitamin A-fortified rice on vitamin A status.