DOST-FNRI launches ‘new variant’ of enhanced nutribun made of carrots

The Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) launched its newest innovation: an enhanced nutribun made of carrots.

“Carrots is like a squash and other colored fruits and vegetables that contain beta carotene. (Beta carotene) when ingested will be metabolized to vitamin A that helps keeps the eye healthy, and its very important nutrient to guard our body from free radicals which is one of the causes of infection,” said DOST-FNRI director Dr. Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa in a virtual launch Tuesday.

The “new variant” of the enhanced nutribun doesn’t contain artificial flavors and colors, the agency said.

The development of the enhanced nutribun carrot variant was led by Engr. Charlie Adona, Richard Alcaraz, Jonahver Tarlit, and Filoteo Ponte.

The innovation aims to contribute to the country’s feeding programs and to help local farmers by increasing the demand for vegetables.

The use of carrots follows the DOST-FNRI’s first enhanced nutribun made of squash, which was launched last July 2020.

“During the lean months of the supply of squash the price was so high, and therefore the supply was very scarce. Our adoptors cannot supply the demand of our partner agencies for supplemental feeding,” Dr. Angeles-Agdeppa mentioned.

In 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations listed carrots in the top five of 27 primary vegetable products.

Carrots are also one of the the most important vegetables that commonly grow in the highlands of the country, according to the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research.

The DOST-FNRI said a single serving of the enhanced nutribun carrot variant contains 500-kilocalories, 18-grams of protein, 6-milligrams of iron and 350-micrograms of vitamin A.