SEOUL, Sep 15 (Yonhap/APP): South Korean food company Geltech has been selected as an official supplier of fortified rice kernels (FRK) by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Seoul government said Monday.
This marks the first time a South Korean agro-food company has officially entered the United Nations’ food procurement market, according to the Public Procurement Service (PPS).
FRKs are processed rice granules made by blending rice flour with a premix of essential vitamins and minerals, and shaping them into rice-like grains.
Geltech will supply 201 tons of FRK to the WFP, the agency said, adding that they will be mixed with 20,064 tons of rice bound for Bangladesh next month for distribution to refugees.
“This is more than just an act of food aid but the first official case of a South Korean agro-food company entering the procurement market of an international organization,” said Lee Hung-sik, an official at the PPS.