Pilot-scale commercialization of iron-fortified rice: effects on anemia status.

Background: Rice, the staple food of the Philippines, is an appropriate vehicle for iron fortification to combat the high prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia. A previous study among schoolchildren supplemented with iron-fortified rice showed a significant reduction in the rate of iron-deficiency anemia from 100% to 33%.

Objective: To document the processes involved in commercializing iron-fortified rice and to determine its effects on anemia prevalence.