BIOAVAILABILITY OF VITAMIN-A IN A SYNTHETIC RICE PREMIX

The Relative Dose Response Test (RDR) was used to assess the bioavaila bility of vitamin A in a stabilized form in artificially produced rice kernels. The vitamin A proved stable to storage and cooking, and the enriched rice was nontoxic, and had the same sensory characteristics o f ordinary rice. The nutrified rice, cooked with sugar and milk, was o ffered to 83 deprived children as the challenge dose for an RDR test. The children showed positive and negative tests in agreement with thei r serum retinol levels. The regression of RDR on serum retinol levels was the same as that observed when the conventional RDR test was appli ed.