SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire - Apr 5, 2012) - NutraCea (OTCQB: [ NTRZ ]) (PINKSHEETS: [ NTRZ ]), a global leader in the production and marketing of value added products derived from rice bran, today announced the appointments of David Hutchinson as Senior Vice President - Operations and Robert Smith, PhD as Senior Vice President - Business Development.

After 4 years at NutraCea in various operations, quality assurance and technical services positions, Mr. Hutchison has been appointed Senior Vice President - Operations. In his new capacity, he will have management responsibility for all of NutraCea's US plant operations, quality assurance and technical services as well as operational oversight of the Company's Brazilian rice bran bio-refinery, Irgovel.

Dr. Smith joined NutraCea March 19^th as Senior Vice President - Business Development. His primary responsibilities include providing technical sales support, managing third party technical sales support providers, leadership of NutraCea's research and development activities and management of the Company's intellectual property portfolio.

Mr. Hutchinson and Dr. Smith will both join NutraCea's Senior Management Committee and will co-manage NutraCea's participation in the previously announced Joint Development Agreement with DSM, which is aimed at developing technologies to enzymatically extract and concentrate protein from rice bran.

W. John Short, Chief Executive Officer of NutraCea, stated, "I am pleased to announce the promotion of David Hutchinson to SVP - Operations. Hutch has been with NutraCea for 4 years and brings a wealth of general industry and NutraCea-specific knowledge to his new responsibilities. In his new role, he will provide strong leadership and solid management continuity to our critical operational activities in both the US and Brazil."

"I am equally pleased to welcome Robert Smith to our senior management team. Robert comes to us with a wealth of product and industry-specific knowledge that will support sales activities in all areas of our business including human ingredient sales, animal nutrition sales and functional foods. Robert's deep knowledge and background in research and development make him ideally suited to head both the Technical Sales Support and R&D efforts at NutraCea."

Biographies
Mr. Hutchinson brings 18 years of edible oil processing, research and technical expertise to the company, specializing in vegetable oils such as rice bran oil and flax oil. Mr. Hutchinson most recently worked with BiOriginal Food and Science in Saskatoon, Canada, overseeing Canadian product regulatory compliance while also serving as an operations and technical consultant on flaxseed oils, marine oils and encapsulated neutraceutial products. Prior to his employment in Canada, Mr. Hutchinson was employed by Riceland Foods in Stuttgart, Arkansas where for over a decade, he specialized in rice bran oil process modifications aimed at developing new ways to isolate functional components present in rice bran and rice bran oil. Mr. Hutchinson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Nicholls State University and served as an adjunct faculty professor for Phillips Community College in Stuttgart, Arkansas, teaching introductory Oilseed Processing and Technology.

Dr. Smith brings over 20 years' experience managing research and development programs in both academia and the private sector, and developing product and business opportunities for botanical ingredients and plant‐derived molecules in the agricultural, human and animal nutrition, and pharmaceutical industries. Previously he served as Director of Business Development at HerbalScience Group, a leader in the development of evidence‐based functional ingredients from botanicals. Dr. Smith has also directed research and development programs at Global Protein Products Inc. and PhycoGen Inc., and has led research projects at Dekalb Genetics, a Monsanto Company. Dr. Smith served as Research Assistant Professor at the AgBiotech Center at Rutgers University and did Post‐Doctoral work in Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Missouri‐Columbia. Dr. Smith holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology, both from the University of Chicago.

Conference Call Reminder
Date: Thursday, April 5th, 2012
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Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements about NutraCea's expectations regarding future sales prospects, profitability, price adjustments and the completion of capital projects in Brazil. These statements are made based upon current expectations that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements in this news release to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking information. Assumptions and other information that could cause results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking information can be found in NutraCea's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including NutraCea's most recent periodic reports.

About NutraCea
NutraCea is a human food ingredient and animal nutrition company focused on the procurement, bio-refining and marketing of numerous products derived from rice bran. NutraCea has proprietary and patented intellectual property that allows us to convert rice bran, one of the world's most underutilized food sources, into a number of highly nutritious human food and animal nutrition products. Our target markets are human food and animal nutrition manufacturers and retailers, as well as natural food, functional food and nutraceutical supplement manufacturers and retailers, both domestically and internationally. More information can be found in the Company's filings with the SEC and by visiting our website at [ www.nutracea.com ].