High Iron and Zinc Rice (HIZR) FAQs

High Iron and Zinc Rice (HIZR) is a rice variety genetically modified to significantly improve iron and zinc content in the rice grain. It is intended as a complementary intervention to help address anemia and stunting, and aims to provide 30%  of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for iron and and 40% EAR for zinc among target populations, such as children under 5, and pregnant and lactating women.

Iron is abundant in flooded soil, so there is typically no need to apply iron fertilizer in irrigated fields, but zinc content is limited in similar conditions, so zinc fertilizer is recommended for optimum nutrient management. An abundant supply of soil nutrition leads to good plant growth but does not lead to an increase of nutrients in the grain. 

The 16 ppm baseline zinc content of the rice grain is not increased by the addition of zinc fertilizer to soil, but zinc content in rice will decrease when the soil is severely zinc deficient. A foliar application can moderately increase iron and zinc content in the rice grain, but not as much as the iron and zinc content established in the HIZR proof of concept.

Conventionally bred high iron and high zinc rice varieties do not have the sufficient amounts of iron and zinc that are necessary for improved nutritional status. Most of their micronutrient content is in the bran, which is removed during the milling process. Using advanced biotech processes to develop HIZR ensures that the additional micronutrient content is expressed in the endosperm part of the rice grain, which we eat as milled rice.

In addition, the 2018-2019 eNNS results also show that, despite ordinary rice having insufficient iron content, rice is the top food source for iron of all population groups because of the large quantities consumed daily.  As such, improving the iron and zinc stores of rice has the potential to significantly improve nutrition status.

IRRI scientists and collaborators added a gene from rice responsible for iron and zinc movement from plant roots and leaves into the rice grain. This was combined with ferritin genes from bean or apple to enhance iron storage capacity of the grain. This particular protein is a primary source of iron for people following vegetarian diets and is readily absorbed by the human body.

During the course of HIZR research and development, IRRI’s research partner, HarvestPlus determined that rice should be able to provide around 10 ppm Fe and 28 ppm Zn in the milled form, in order to make a significant impact on human health. This corresponds to  30% of the estimated average requirement (EAR) for iron and 40% EAR for zinc, and takes into account the daily micronutrient consumption of women and children, as well as  the baseline content and bioavailability of micronutrients in rice. 

These intended target levels also take into account potential micronutrient loss in the rice grain after it has undergone postharvest and cooking processes.

No, because HIZR is intended as a complementary source of iron and zinc, providing 30% EAR for iron and 40% EAR for zinc and filling the gap of dietary inadequacy, for rice-eating populations with a chronic lack of these essential micronutrients in their daily diet.  In the case of the Philippines, dietary consumption trends from the DOST-FNRI surveys underscore 1) the chronic inadequacy of micronutrients in the daily diet; 2) the continued preference for consuming rice and related products, in comparison to other micronutrient-rich food groups; and 3) the incidental role of ordinary rice in contributing essential micronutrients in the daily diet, despite only containing trace amounts of these vitamins and minerals.      
 
Moreover, the 2020 Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey indicates that food insecurity has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with its impact of decreased quantity and quality of food intake  felt most among households with pregnant women or children. 

It is anticipated that consuming HIZR at current or the projected declining food intake levels will still provide target populations with 30% EAR for iron and 40% EAR for zinc.

For the Philippines, the goal is to stack Golden Rice and HIZR traits to develop a “3-in-1” biofortified rice variety with vitamin A, iron and zinc. By doing so, our target communities with multiple micronutrient deficiencies will receive the added nutritional benefit of three essential micronutrients in just one type of rice.