Nutritional and Safety Evaluation of Heat-Stabilized Rice Bran for Supplementary Feeding of Malnourished Children in Kenya

Rice bran is a by-product of rice milling that has been primarily used in animal feed negating its potential for human consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of rice bran to aid in managing infant and childhood malnutrition. Rice bran samples were collected from Kenya (Mwea) and U.S. (RiBran 300, RiceBran TechnologiesTM) for nutritional, heavy metals and microbial analysis. Reference values for rice bran from the USDA nutrient database were included for comparison. Additionally, seven supplementary foods containing maize, soya bean, rice bran and sugar (CSR) for 12-24 month old moderately malnourished children were formulated using nutritional software programs. A 100g of Mew rice bran contained 349 kcal, 20g dietary fibre, 19g fat, 13g protein, 7.5mg iron and 4.6mg zinc. A 100g of RiBran 300 comprised of 359 kcal, 25g dietary fibre, 22g fat, 14g protein, 9.7mg iron and 5.3mg zinc. Mwea rice bran had 0.12ppm total arsenic while RiBran 300 had 0.86ppm total arsenic. Both rice brans tested negative for E. coli O-157 and Salmonella spp. The computer simulated CSRs showed that nutrient density increased as rice bran was included ranging from 1 - 30g/day serving. The retail cost of the CSR’s was 38-46 % lower than Corn-Soya-Blend plus (super cereal) and 65-70% lower than Corn-Soya-Blend plus plus (Super cereal plus) supplementary foods available in Kenya. These findings indicate that rice bran has the potential to be a nutritious, safe and affordable food ingredient that enhances food and nutrition security.