CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga -About 24,000 food stuffs processed out of rice and mongo labeled as RIMO were released by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to the local government units of Balbalan and Pasil for distribution to children.
Dexy Catacutan of DOST provincial office here said 12,000 packs of RIMO curls were released to Pasil while 12,000 sachet of RIMO Blend were given to Balbalan as complementary snack foods to solve malnutrition.
The program is under the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology or CEST via the health and nutrition entry point.
Tanudan, Pasil and Balbalan were previously covered under the program with the addition of Lubuagan this 2019.
The combination of rice and mongo as complementary foods was developed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute and commercialized by Nutridense Food with its RIMO Blend, the one given to Balbalan,and the Apayao State College for the BIGBA (Bigas at Balatong) curls given to Pasil.
RIMO curls is an extruded snack food made from a blend of rice flour and mongo flour. It contains 130 kcal of energy and 4 grams of protein per 30 grams, enough to meet 12.1% of recommended energy and 14.3% of recommended protein intake for 1 to 3 years old children. It is a nutritious snack food for children and adults as well.
The RIMO Baby Food Blend is processed by extrusion cooking method and is ready-to-eat by adding previously boiled water. It contains 120 kcal of energy and 4 grams of protein per 30 grams, enough to meet 16.7% of recommended energy and 28.6% of protein for 6 months to less than 23 months old children.
“The food stuff will be distributed to children within the 120 days supplemental feeding period of the barangays,” Catacutan said. (JDP/PAB-PIA CAR, Kalinga)
