Czech J. Food Sci., X:X | DOI: 10.17221/33/2024-CJFS

Preparing and investigating the impact of iron and zinc fortified parboiled puffed rice bars on the nutritional status of school-aged children (9–12 years)Original Paper

Ghazala Kausar¹, Waqas Tariq², Muhammad Azeem ORCID...³, Khuram Ashfaq⁴, Mian Kamran Sharif⁵, Umair Afzal¹, Sheraz Ahmed⁶, Doha M. Al-Nouri⁷, Isam A. Mohamed Ahmed⁷, Muhammad Abuzar Ghaffari⁴, Muhammad Tauseef Azam⁸, Rai Muhammad Amir⁸, Saleem Muhammad⁹

¹ School of Food Science & Technology, Minhaj University, Lahore, Pakistan

² Assistant Manager Quality Assurance, Engro Eximp Agri Products, Muridke, Sheikhupura

³ Faculty of Food and Nutrition, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

⁴ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lahore University of Biological & Applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

⁵ National Institute of Food Science & Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

⁶ Department of Food Sciences, Cholistan University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

⁷ Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

⁸ Institute of Food and Nutritional Sciences, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

⁹ Department of Food Technology, Balochistan Agriculture College, Quetta, Pakistan

Parboiled rice is produced by steaming, soaking, and drying paddy grains, which helps retain nutrients. The parboiled rice has more nutrients and wholesome grains as compared to white (polished) rice. Parboiled rice has more nutrients than white (polished) rice and can be used as nutritional intervention in communities with nutrient discrepancies. The current project was designed to study the effect of parboiled puffed rice bars fortified with iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) on the nutritional status of school-aged children. The iron and zinc contents of parboiled fortified rice were increased by adding salts to soaking water. Three treatments were tested: T₀ ‒ puffed rice bars made from parboiled white rice, T₁ ‒ puffed rice bars made from brown rice fortified with 200 mg Na-FeEDTA and 100 mg ZnSO₄ per litre and T₂ ‒ puffed rice bars made from white rice fortified with 200 mg Na-FeEDTA and 100 mg ZnSO₄ per litre. The highest energy (391.1 kcal), Fe (71.8 mg·kg^–1), Zn (64.8 mg·kg^–1) and water activity (0.65) values were observed in T₁. Three hundred children were randomly assigned to three groups: control group G₀ given T₀ treatment containing 32.5% and 29.5% recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron and zinc, respectively, group G₁ given T₁ treatment made from fortified brown puffed rice containing 89.8% and 81.1% RDA of iron and zinc, respectively whereas group G₂ was served T₂ treatment made from white rice containing 77.8% and 56.8% of the RDA for iron and zinc, respectively. After 45 days of the intervention, the highest changes in haemoglobin (Hb) level (8.9%), serum ferritin (7.7%) and serum zinc (13.9%) were observed in G₁ and lower values of Hb (4.6 %), serum ferritin (4.1 %) and serum zinc (8%) were observed in control group G₀. Means of Hb, serum ferritin and zinc increased from 1.24 to 1.33 g·L^–1, 33.5 to 35.1 µg·L^–1 and 10.2 to 10.8 µmol·L^–1, respectively, which showed a positive effect of iron and zinc fortified bar on health. The consumption of 100 g puffed rice bar fortified with 100 mg·kg^–1 Fe and 200 mg·kg^–1 can achieve approximately 89% RDA of iron and 81.1% RDA of zinc in school-aged children.

Keywords: fortified rice bars; glutinous rice; complete blood count; haemoglobin; parboiled puffed rice; serum ferritin

Received: February 22, 2024; Revised: April 22, 2026; Accepted: April 28, 2026; Prepublished online: September 29, 2026