HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will welcome over 200 experts and researchers from around the world to participate in the fifth International Conference on Rice Bran Oil in Hà Nội from May 23-25.

Themed “Rice Bran Oil---The World’s Premium Healthy Oil”, the seminar will discuss strategies to promote the development and utilisation of rice bran oil and improve its branding and trade in the international market.

This is the fifth year IARBO (International Association of Rice Bran Oil) has organised the conference to promote the production of rice bran oil in its five member countries of China, India, Japan, Thailand and Việt Nam. The event will be attended by representatives of the world’s leading rice bran oil producers, such as Thailand’s Medifood, Japan’s Tsuno and Oryza groups, and more.

Rice bran oil is one of the best oils for health, widely used in many countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the US, India as well as the EU. The oil is extracted from the bran layer within six hours of being separated from rice grains to preserve valuable antioxidants such as Gamma-Oryzanol, Phytosterol and Vitamin E.

The member countries of IARBO have great potential to produce the oil, generating additional value for rice. Currently, 90 per cent of global rice output is produced by Asia. India is currently the world’s largest rice producer, accounting for 75 per cent of the global output, followed by China and Japan.

In Việt Nam, Wilmar Agro Vietnam Ltd has invested in two rice oil extraction plants in the Mekong Delta, with a total extraction capacity of up to 1,200 tonnes of crude rice per day. This is the largest plant in the country in terms of extraction, providing large quantities of crude oil for domestic and foreign markets.

Cái Lân Oils and Fats Industries Company, which owns refined rice oil brand Simply, said its refinery required modern machinery and advanced technology to keep intact the nutrition of Gamma-Oryzanol and balance fatty acid groups in rice oil. The company’s products are mainly exported to China, Japan, Europe and the Middle East as well as partly sold in the domestic market.

Established in 2013, IARBO is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. Its mission is to connect manufacturers, research institutes, universities and consumers to promote the production and consumption of rice in the world.

At this year’s conference, IARBO held the first rice research competition, with a total prize of US$21,000 for students. In addition to the in-depth reports, the conference also featured hundreds of booths displaying value-added rice and rice bran products. — VNS