By Napoleon Kajunju, Blanche Murera, Eliud Birachi, Warren Arinaitwe, Justice Munthali, and Jean Claude Rubyogo
When Samuel Uwihanganye, a passionate advocate for children’s nutrition and community empowerment, began experimenting with fortified flour blends in his modest facility in Bweramvura, Rwanda, he likely never imagined that his creations, developed with technical support from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (The Alliance) through the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), would one day command international recognition.
Barely weeks after showcasing his fortified, bean-based products at the Africa Conference on Agricultural Technologies (ACAT) in Kigali under his company Rainbow Healthy Food Ltd, its flagship product — the Monti 7-in-1 Composite Bean Flour, made with biofortified iron beans for enhanced nutrition — has been selected as one of the winners of the Fortify Forward Innovation Challenge 2025 in the East Africa Region. The award, under the category “Profitable and Sustainable Business Models for Fortification,” will be officially presented at an event in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 3rd and 4th, 2025.
Innovation at its core
Rainbow Healthy Food’s breakthrough came in March 2025 during a focused co-creation session in Rwanda, where experts from the Alliance worked closely with Samuel and his team to refine the formulation of nutrient-rich flours. Leveraging data-driven tools like NutriSurvey’s linear programming, the team developed three composite blends with varying levels of High-Iron Beans (8.33%, 12%, and 16.67%). These blends were crafted not only for their nutritional value but also for their everyday appeal—tailored to the tastes and eating habits of East African families, where porridge is a dietary staple and micronutrient deficiencies remain a widespread concern.
Collaborating for Impact: Alliance’s Nutritionists and Rainbow Healthy Food Ltd staff working together to develop fortified bean-based products.
The ingredient list of these combinations reads like a farmer’s market with a mission: roasted beans, soybeans, maize, rice, peanuts, and sugar — all carefully proportioned to boost protein, iron, and B-vitamin levels. The result is a highly nutritious flour, expertly milled, blended, and roasted at Rainbow’s facility, then packaged and prepared for sensory evaluation.
“I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made with Monti 7in1 Extra, made possible through PABRA’s innovation. This goes beyond winning the Fortify Forward Challenge—it’s about the real gains we’ve achieved and the renewed momentum in our fight against malnutrition. I see this as just the beginning. Together, we can scale our efforts and reach even more families across Africa,” said Uwihanganye.
Science meets the spoon
In a comprehensive sensory study involving 33 panelists — including community members, nutrition researchers, and industry representatives — each of the new HIB-based flour and porridge products was evaluated based on key attributes such as aroma, texture, color, and taste.
The feedback was resounding:
- All HIB-based flours outperformed market controls in almost every sensory category.
- The 8.33% HIB flour stood out for its strong color and flavor, emerging as a panel favorite.
- Not a single HIB product ranked among the most disliked — a rare feat in sensory testing.
- Women particularly praised the aroma and texture of the flours; men favored the porridge’s smoothness and mouthfeel.
- The 12% HIB porridge scored highest overall for taste, texture, and acceptability.
- Local market controls were consistently rated lower and often rejected outright.
The nutrition profile of these new blends is equally impressive. The best-performing product packs 447.8 kcal per 100g, 19.8g of protein (17% of total energy), 5.5mg of iron, 2.5mg of zinc, and key B-vitamins like folate and niacin — making it an ideal intervention against iron and protein deficiencies, particularly among young children and women of reproductive age.
A cross section of the Monti 7 in 1 composite flour developed by Rainbow Health Food Ltd
Scaling a Vision
With the prototype’s success now validated at ACAT, Rainbow Healthy Food Ltd is eyeing the future. Plans are already underway to scale production, enhance packaging, and build marketing strategies to reach families across Rwanda and beyond. In a major step forward, RHF has also signed an agreement with a local bean farmer cooperative to supply the factory with seven tons of beans each season — anchoring the innovation firmly in the local economy.
This isn’t just a win for Samuel’s Rainbow Healthy Foods Ltd. It’s a win for science, for communities, and for African-led innovation. With the right support, Rainbow’s porridge has the potential to help rewrite the story of childhood nutrition across East Africa — one healthy bowl at a time.