Five companies have expressed interest to make the Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s enhanced nutribun (e-nutribun).
These firms are located in Luzon and are negotiating with the FNRI, Director Mario Capanzana said.
The e-nutribun of the five companies would be for their social programs and commercial production.
The e-nutribun is an enhanced and more nutritious version of the nutribun in the 1970s.
“The nutribun in the 1970s and 1980s was big, heavy, hard, so children normally could not finish eating it because of its texture,” he said.
FNRI’s e-nutribun has an improved texture, while still carrying the requirement of around 500 kilocalories. “Other micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, iodine were added by putting natural ingredients,” he said.
Capanzana said squash was among the natural ingredients that the FNRI used to improve the bread’s taste.
He said FNRI plans to launch the e-nutribun before the end of July. “We are thinking of launching it online and invite technology partners. Maybe we will produce some to be used in a demo.”
After the launching, the Department of Science and Technology regional offices will conduct an online forum for potential bakers and adopters and will share them the technical know-how for free.
“Our only requirement would be a memorandum of agreement with our technology adopters,” Capanzana said, adding that this is to monitor if the adopters are following the right steps and ingredients in making the e-nutribun.
“We need to know if they are doing the right thing because if they would deviate from the process or ingredients, our purpose for the e-nutribun would be set aside,” he said.
Capanzana said the technology adopters have the option to either sell the e-nutribun or donate them. – PNA
April 25, 2024
