Nutrition lost for polishing rice: Study

The highest nutritional elements are lost when rice is polished, as the modern rice millers trim off 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the rice, according to a study.

Ten researchers at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science (INFS) of Dhaka University and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) conducted the study.

The study said people are being deprived of nutrition due to rice being polished as only carbohydrates remain and after polishing rice.

An article titled Variations in the Major Nutrient Composition of Dominant High-Yield Varieties (HYVs) in Parboiled and Polished Rice of Bangladesh was published in international science journal Foods in November.

Researchers said the study has been sent to the concerned ministries including the food ministry and the agriculture ministry.

The portion of rice, which is trimmed, is used as food for chicken and fish and also producing rice bran oil.

Another study titled 'A study on price hike of rice in Bangladesh: Condition from consumers to farmers' conducted by BRRI in 2022 says the rice millers sell the trimming portion of rice at a good price. The rice millers make a good profit by selling rice and byproducts.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about the matter, food secretary Md Ismail Hossain said a guideline has been given to the rice millers over trimming rice. As per the guideline, millers have been asked to trim 10 per cent of rice. Otherwise, legal steps will be taken.

39 million tonnes of rice is produced annually in Bangladesh. A major portion of it is produced from paddy at rice mills.

For the joint study of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science (INFS) of Dhaka University and BRRI, samples of rice were collected from different places at different times for carrying out tests. Samples of the main variety of paddy is collected from the gene bank of BRRI. Rice is produced from collected paddy in different processes so that a comparative picture of nutrition is found.

Nutrition quality of five high yielding varieties (HYVs) is tested. They are BR11, BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan49, and BRRI dhan84.
Scientists carried out tests on those varieties whether those contain the carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins which they should have naturally. It is seen that BRRI-84 retains minerals and all types of vitamins. But in the rest of the varieties, the nutritional elements are left for trimming.

Changing rate of nutrition quality is different in parboiled and atop rice subject to variety. In some cases, it is seen that some elements are increasing due to polishing.  However, overall nutrition quality is decreasing. Nine to 18 per cent protein has decreased due to polishing 10 per cent of rice.

Fat, vitamins and minerals have decreased at different rates. Rice generally contains seven types of minerals-calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, sodium, potassium and phosphorus.

Researchers said the people deprived of the nutritional elements for eating polished rice are taking those again as medicines. The government also mixes nutritional elements through various programmes. Nutritionists think additional carbohydrates increase the weight of people. On the contrary, if there is a lack of fibre in the food, constipation increases.

Professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science of Dhaka University and the research team leader Nazma Shahin said rice is the main source of nutrition for the poor people. The trimming of nutritional elements from rice has to be stopped.

She said only making guidelines will not work, regular monitoring has to be carried out whether the guideline is being followed or not.

Nazma Shahin also said consumers have to abandon the habit of buying polished rice. Nutritional elements of rice are left for polishing.

More by-products are obtained if rice is trimmed more. Rice millers earn money by selling those. As a result, their business is not hampered for trimming rice.

According to a study of BRRI, 600 grams to 650 grams of rice is obtained by processing a kg of paddy. The rice millers show a profit of Tk one to two on that amount of rice. But the by-product is sold at Tk 6 to Tk 9 per kg. The millers make profit of Tk 8 to Tk 13.66 from per kg of rice and its byproduct.

Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association general secretary HR Khan Pathan said the rice mill owners would not have been in such a poor condition if they had made so much profit. They also make loss. So the number of ricemillers is decreasing in the country.

According to a study of BRRI, hand changes five times from farmers to the consumer level in the market of paddy and rice. Expenditure and profit are added in each time of change of hand. The rice millers make the highest and unusual profit.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, BRRI director general Md Shajahan Kabir said the rice mills in the country are depriving consumers of nutrition.

He said polishing guidelines should be implemented soon and strict monitoring should be introduced.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam