Fortifying rice with multiple micronutrients could be a promising strategy to combat micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. We determined the efficacy of extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients on the prevalence of anemia, micronutrient status and physical and cognitive performance in 6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India. In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, 258 children were assigned to one of the three intervention groups to receive rice-based lunch meals fortified with multiple micronutrients with either low-iron (6.25 mg) or high-iron (12.5 mg) concentrations or identical meals with unfortified rice. The meals were provided 6 days/week for 6 months. Anthropometric, biochemical, physical performance and cognitive assessments were taken at baseline and endpoint. At baseline, study groups were comparable with 61% of the children being anemic. However, only <10>