More than seven decades of food and nutrition research and development, science and technology services for the people

The Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) is the prime agency that provides accurate data and science-based information and technologies for the past 75 years that could be used by policymakers in developing problem-focused solutions to fight malnutrition that persistently undermine the optimal productivity of Filipinos.

As the lead government agency in food and nutrition research and development in the country, the DOST-FNRI regularly conducts National Nutrition Surveys (NNS) to determine the nutritional status of the population, which started way back in 1978 and has since expanded in scope, coverage, and depth through the decades.

The nutrition survey results are vital inputs to national and local policies for planning, implementing, and evaluating development programs related to food, nutrition, health, and social services. The institute also crafts policy recommendations based on nutrition survey results and other food and nutrition research that are best suited in form and substance for policymakers and agency administrators.

Some of the policies that make use of the nutrition survey results include the poverty threshold and index, minimum wage, daily food budget, ASIN Law, Food Fortification Law, and Sin Tax Law. International agencies, like the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Program (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) secure the nutrition survey data to monitor the attainment of globally-agreed targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Since the institute was not able to conduct the last phase of the three-year rolling survey in 2020, a major contribution of the institute during the COVID-19 pandemic was the conduct of the Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey (RNAS) in 2020.

The RNAS is the first food and nutrition survey conducted online and through mobile devices. This provided a snapshot of the changes in food security, nutrition services, and maternal and child feeding practices in selected areas with high, medium, and low risk of COVID-19. The results of this survey were disseminated to guide policymakers, program implementers, and health care workers in enhancing and intensifying policies, programs, and health promotion strategies including nutrition programs to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

In the realm of food research, several nutritious food technologies, like fortified food products and beverages, as well as alternative complementary and snack foods were formulated, lab-tested, and scaled up for commercialization. These are rolled out nationwide through technology transfer to qualified and trained entrepreneurs, local government units (LGUs), and allied government agencies concerned with food, nutrition, health, and social services like the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as non-government and socio-civic organizations.

Examples of these nutritious food technologies are the famous enhanced nutribun, rice and mongo-based complementary and snack foods, veggie noodles, iodine-rich drinking water, ready-to-drink fruit-veggie combos, stabilized brown rice, brown rice bar, Iron-fortified rice, instant meals, micronutrient growth mixes and micronutrient extruded rice kernel for the pregnant and lactating.

Many of these food technologies use composite flours and local ingredients from rice, mongo, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes (kamote), seaweeds, and coconut flour in whole or in part, to help cushion the skyrocketing prices of flour and support the livelihood of entrepreneurs and local farmers. To date, around 400 MSMEs, LGUs, and SUCs are certified licensees of these numerous technologies.

As to nutrition research, the institute continues to help address the specific nutritional well-being of all population groups: infants, young children, teens, adults, the elderly, the pregnant and lactating, and those who have nutrition and lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, kidney problems, overweight, and obesity.

One pioneering research of the institute is on nutrigenomics which involves determining associations between nutrition and genes and the provision of personalized diet and lifestyle modification prescriptions. Another significant development is the recently-launched Nutrition Physiology Laboratory which will focus on nutrition research for healthy aging. This laboratory is the only non-medical institution in the country granted the Certificate of Facility Registration by the Food and Drugs (FDA) of the Department of Health (DOH) for its DEXA Laboratory for research purposes. It also boasts of other state-of-the-art equipment only found in a few modern hospitals and health research facilities.

During the peak and surges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the institute conducted studies on virgin coconut oil (VCO) as an adjunct therapy for suspect, probable and mild cases. The results yielded positive outcomes in rapidly preventing the cases from advancing to serious levels. More than the promising contribution to early treatment as accompanying therapy for COVID-19 patients, the results can help uplift the livelihood of coconut farmers, VCO producers, and the coconut industry as a whole.

Add to these the indispensable nutrition tools, guides, standards, and references that only the institute develops, updates, and transforms into technology-based accessible formats, like computer and mobile online and offline versions.

Students, professionals, and researchers in the food and nutrition and allied fields cannot complete any study, analysis, report, or write-up without referring to these tools and standards. Some of these include the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF), Food Composition Tables (FCT), Food Exchange Lists for Meal Planning (FEL), and Philippine Dietary Reference Intake (PDRI), Glycemic Index of Commonly Consumed Carbohydrate-Rich Foods, Pinggang Pinoy and the Daily Nutritional Guide Pyramid.

Outputs of these food and nutrition research and development are best felt by beneficiaries and clients through the institute’s far-reaching science and technology services. Its world-class and ISO-accredited laboratories support not only internal research but also the food industry needing science-based, accurate and reliable analysis of products for the safe consumption and nutritional benefits of customers.

And speaking of customers, the institute has been developing, updating, and innovating its nutrition information packages to suit traditional, virtual, and blended learning platforms for various types of users. One such innovative information package is the Nutrition Educator’s Kit (NEK) which incorporates several interactive materials in various formats, many of which can be used by and for children to introduce basic nutrition concepts early in life.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is a regular customer of the NEK which is distributed to its daycare centers. The licensing of the NEK to Access Print, facilitated the mass production, bulk purchase, and accessibility of the NEK among captive customers.

Likewise, training packages have been developed on various food and nutrition topics to enhance the continuing nutrition education of trainees who come from all over the country and represent numerous institutions and backgrounds. The technology transfer activities of the institute are being facilitated in almost all regions of the country to monitor the progress and provide technical support to food technology licensees. This helps ensure the feasibility, profitability, quality, safety, and compliance with food production standards and requirements.

These research and development outputs and science and technology services are made known to the public through aggressive promotion and marketing on traditional and online media platforms. The institute takes pride in sustaining and surpassing its impressive media mileage year after year with the help of partners from the mass and online media.

Another innovative and adaptive venue for diffusing the institute’s offerings is through the iFNRI, an online platform that integrates all ICT-based information and services. Through the iFNRI, clients can access information, services, and guidance in availing of services without being physically present in the FNRI office.

This year, the DOST-FNRI has laid down a roadmap of its future directions for the medium and long term, in accordance with global, national, departmental, and institutional commitments and mandates. In this roadmap, it has identified the poor, children and adults with an unhealthy lifestyle, and the aging population as priority mega sectors to serve.

The roadmap is based on malnutrition concerns identified by the nutrition surveys. Knowledge generation, malnutrition reduction initiatives, knowledge diffusion and technology transfer, and efficient governance are the corresponding strategies that must be implemented to help address malnutrition and its accompanying developmental challenges. Moreover, the institute aims to spread its wings to do effective and impactful collaborative works both through global and national networks.

Likewise, financial and human resources were earmarked for proposals to Congress to support the realization of targets in the roadmap. This includes the proposed construction of a new building because the present location of the office is on an active faultline that was just recently discovered.

With all these strategic plans in place, we are once again counting on our partners, who throughout the past 75 years, have been augmenting our resources and initiatives to efficiently serve more people, especially those who are socio-economically challenged.

Our partners from the government, private and food industry sectors and the media will be honored and celebrate with us this milestone event during the 75th Anniversary of the DOST-FNRI at The Manila Hotel on July 1, 2022. The Diamond Jubilee is aptly themed: “DOST-FNRI @75: Shining Like a Diamond!”

The current management and all the DOST-FNRI workforce pay tribute to the pillars that laid the foundations of the institute, as well as to the men and women who carried and are carrying on with the noble tasks of fighting malnutrition with accurate data, correct information, and innovative technologies.

Salvador R. Serrano, DOST-FNRI