NFA tests rice-corn blend for Filipino diet

The National Food Authority is set to test the palatability of the rice-corn blend as part of the mainstream Filipino diet in line with efforts to lower the country’s dependence on imported rice.

NFA is working with local corn growers through the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) for a taste survey of the rice-corn blend that will determine its acceptability among a cross-section of consumers.

“Results of the taste survey could help us strategize on how to market corn as an alternative staple to rice or as rice extender. This could eventually wean our country away from importing the shortfall in our annual rice production,” NFA administrator Jason Aquino said.

Last year, domestic consumption of rice was 12.9 million metric tons (MT) while production was only 11.5 million MT or a shortfall of 1.4 million MT.

The local industry is promoting the rice-corn blend as a health food because corn has lower calorie and carbohydrate content compared to rice.

Studies also showed that corn contains more vitamins, minerals and proteins than white rice and blending the two would give more nutritional benefits to consumers.

“By substituting rice with 10 percent corn grits, we would already solve our annual rice production shortage. Corn is also a more versatile crop that can be produced year-round even under marginal environments,” Aquino said.

One out of five Filipinos eats white corn grits as staple food next to rice. In Zamboanga Peninsula, alone, the per capita consumption of corn at 160 kilograms is higher than the national per capita consumption of rice at 110 kg.

Corn was considered as a “poor man’s rice” in the 1960s when rice shortage forced many Filipinos to eat inferior rice mixed with rough corn grits.

“This is the stigma that we at NFA and the Philmaize would like to erase in the minds of modern day Filipinos, who are generally more health conscious, to include rice-corn blend as part of a healthy diet,” Aquino said.

Approximately one-third of Filipino farmers or 1.8 million individuals depend on corn as their major source of livelihood.