Nomatech Sdn Bhd has disclosed plan to export its Primera Red Rice to Japan, Singapore, Ireland and the Middle East countries in 2024.
Nomatech Director and Head of Business Development Sharifah Nur Rahimah Syed Alias said in order to export rice products abroad, there are regulations and conditions that need to be met.
Sharifah noted that Nomatech participated in the Global Market Fit Programme Japan, an initiative organised by the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) to ensure that the plan to export to Japan could be realised.
Sharifah is confident of the potential of red rice which is the result of the company’s research, and it is now seeking for partners who are interested in collaborating to produce downstream products. Currently, there are several companies that have produced food products using red rice and these include noodles and pasta which they sell under their respective brands. Nomatech has also developed a prototype of red rice powder and red rice flakes which can be used in porridge, baby food and health drinks.
Nomatech Managing Director Prof Dr R. Wickneswari, who is a former professor of plant genetics and biotechnology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), said Primera’s red rice has a low glycemic index (GI) value and is high in fibre and antioxidants.
Primera red rice has a slight nutty taste and is produced through conventional breeding involving controlled pollination between the Malaysian rice cultivar MR219 and the wild rice species Oryza rufipogon, which is registered as UKMRC-9.
Wickneswari said Primera red rice has a GI value of 46, the lowest GI value in the local rice market. Primera recently received the Malaysia Health and Wellness Brand Awards 2023.
