Healthy route to sustainable rice trade

• What comes with consumption of rice as a major food in your bowl is risk of developing type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Rice is rich in carbohydrates and can have a high glycemic index (GI) score.
• According to the International Diabetes Federation incident rates of diabetes will rise to 380 million in 2025, out of which 60% coming from Asia. Future development of low GI rice would also enable food manufacturers and rice exporters to expand their markets globally.
• Rice varieties such as India’s most widely grown Swarna have a low glycaemic index (GI) and varieties such as Doongara from Australia and Basmati have medium GI.
• Currently, aside from Australia, the countries that have registered the GI (glycaemic index) symbol and are using it in labelling are New Zealand, Canada, USA, EU, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and India.

Rice is the staple food for over half the world’s population. Approximately 490 million metric tons of milled rice are produced annually. China and India alone account for 51% of the rice grown and consumed. Rice provides up to half of the dietary caloric supply for millions living in poverty in Asia & Africa and is, therefore, critical for food security and international trade. It is becoming an imperative food staple in both Latin America and Oceania. Record increases in rice production have been observed since the start of the Green Revolution. Populations that subsist on rice are at high risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency.

What comes with consumption of rice as a major food in your bowl is risk of developing type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Rice is rich in carbohydrates and can have a high GI score. If an individual consumer is having diabetes, he/she may think that you need to skip it at dinner, but this isn’t always the case. Consumers can still eat rice if they have diabetes. Individual consumers should avoid eating it in large portions or too frequently, though. Many types of rice exist, and some types are healthier than others

There are risks to having too much rice in your diet. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who eat high levels of white rice may have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This means that if you have pre-diabetes, you should be especially conscientious about your rice intake. According to the International Diabetes Federation, incidence rates of diabetes will rise to 380 million in 2025, out of which 60% coming from Asia. Future development of low GI rice would also enable food manufacturers and rice exporters to expand their markets globally.

If any consumer has already been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s generally safe for them to enjoy rice in moderation. They should be aware of the carbohydrate count and GI score for the type of rice they wish to consume. Ideally it is advisable, to eat between 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Some varieties of rice have a lower GI score than others.

Indian rice Swarna is amongst the healthiest varieties, as researchers have found it carries low risk of diabetes, says a leading rice research organisation. Rice varieties such as India’s most widely grown rice variety Swarna have a low glycaemic index (GI) and varieties such as Doongara from Australia and Basmati have medium GI. Food with high GI gets easily digested and absorbed by the body, but often results in fluctuations in blood sugar levels, that can increase the chances of getting diabetes. In contrast, food with low GI has slow digestion and absorption rates in the body, causing a gradual and sustained release of sugar into the blood and thus reducing the chances of developing diabetes.

Informing about GI score and creating health awareness while trading rice internationally will cause an increase in consumption of lower GI content rice. This will help diabetics and people at risk of diabetes who are trying to control their condition through diet, as it means they can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet,

The finding of a research by IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), which analysed 235 types of rice around the world is good news because it not only means rice can be part of a healthy diet for the average consumer, but it also means that people with diabetes or at risk of diabetes can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy and low GI diet

Currently, aside from Australia, the countries that have registered the GI (glycaemic index) symbol and are using it in labelling are New Zealand, Canada, USA, EU, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and India. China and Taiwan are yet to use and incorporate the GI information on their rice consignments.

Raising awareness and understanding of GI, helping consumers choose low GI products, including use of the symbol to identify low GI products & encouraging the development of new low GI products by food innovators and manufacturers should be key priorities of policy makers, especially in rice exporting economies.