Making nutritious snack bar from black rice
By Mariesh F. Celedeña
Innovation and local agriculture come together in BlackGold Nutribar, a pioneering snack bar made primarily from black rice and other locally sourced, nutritious ingredients.
“BlackGold Nutribar is made from black rice as its primary ingredient, combined with other nutritious and locally sourced components that are not commonly used. These are carefully mixed and formed into a snack bar. This is our pioneer product under BlackGold Food Corporation, and based on our research, it is the first snack bar made from black rice,” said Kieth Charles Bequibel, chief executive officer of BlackGold Food Corporation, a student-led enterprise based in Butuan City.
The product is inspired by ‘ampaw,’ a Filipino delicacy made from puffed rice, reimagined into a modern, convenient, and health-oriented snack.
The idea of the BlackGold Nutribar emerged when the firm’s officers formed a team to participate in the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Caraga’s competition on InnovEats during the Regional Science and Technology Week (RSTW) 2024. The competition encouraged students to develop innovative and nutritious food products, supporting the team.
According to studies by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), unpolished pigmented rice, such as red and black rice, contains high levels of phytochemicals and health-promoting properties, making it a healthier alternative to white rice. Black rice is particularly rich in antioxidants, including phenolic compounds, vitamin E derivatives, and γ-oryzanol, which are effective free-radical scavengers.
Juveriel D. Tenio, production manager, shared that these nutritional benefits made it an ideal ingredient for a snack bar. Beyond health, the group also aims to break the stigma that black rice is only for individuals with medical conditions.
“Through our product, we aim to promote and create a demand for black rice, especially since the Caraga region is known for being the capital of black rice. This is also our way of supporting the local farming community in the region,” Tenio said.
Aside from success, BlackGold Nutribar is also recognized as a National Awardee in the 2024 Young Farmers Challenge Intercollegiate Category of the Department of Agriculture (DA) held in Baguio City on July 17, 2025. They received P500,000.00 funding to help the product’s ongoing research and development. They also received multiple offers for potential partnerships and collaborations.
Tenio further shared that the demand for nutribars has increased, with over 10,000 nutribars needed to be produced monthly. They are also working to scale up operations to meet the additional demand, including an order of 1,000 boxes from Taiwan and more orders from private companies.
Throughout its development, the team encountered various challenges, particularly in packaging. What started with manually applied stickers has now evolved into improved cellophane and carton packaging, using DOST Caraga’s packaging and labelling services, making the product more presentable and market-ready.
BlackGold Nutribar continues to move forward with the help of its mentors and the support of the different government offices and farmers.
The BlackGold Nutribar stands as a testament to how innovative ideas, when paired with strong government support, can transform local agricultural products into sustainable and marketable enterprises. (MFC, PIA Caraga, with a report from DOST Caraga)
