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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #153019
Title: NOVEL RICE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES: AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY

Author
item Guraya, Harmeet
item James Jr, Charles
item Champagne, Elaine

Submitted to: Temperate Rice Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2003
Publication Date: 3/13/2003
Citation: Guraya, H.S., James Jr, C., Champagne, E.T. 2003. Novel rice processing technologies: an environmentally friendly way. Temperate Rice Conference Proceedings. CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary: Two novel rice processing technologies of quick cooking brown rice and separation of rice starch and protein were developed. Consumption of brown rice is extremely valuable to health. The problem is that brown rice takes a long time to cook (40-45 min.), due to the slow rate of hydration. This long cooking time produces sticky soft texture on the surface, unlike white rice. Consequently, the consumption of brown rice has been significantly limited in the United States. A novel process for increasing the rate of hydration of food crop seeds without loss of the nutritious and beneficial portions of the seeds has been discovered. In this process, rice is bombarded with rice flour sufficient to create microperforations in the water resistant outer coat of the seed. These microperforations in the treated rice significantly increase the rate of hydration, and hence, decrease cooking time to about 15 minutes. A patent has been filed and the technology has been licensed to several U.S. companies. A new environmentally friendly process for manufacture of rice starch was developed. Rice starch (<0.5% protein) is not manufactured in the U.S; it is primarily being imported from Europe. Recently, a novel process for making rice starch and protein was developed at USDA. This process is licensed and currently being scaled up for commercialization by Sage V Foods from California.

Technical Abstract: Consumption of brown rice is extremely valuable to health. The bran fraction accounts for 5-8% of the brown rice weight and is the most nutritious part of the seed. The problem is that brown rice takes a long time to cook (40-45 min.), due to the slow rate of hydration. This long cooking time produces sticky soft texture on the surface, unlike white rice. Consequently, the consumption of brown rice has been significantly limited in the United States. A novel process for increasing the rate of hydration of food crop seeds without loss of the nutritious and beneficial portions of the seeds has been discovered. In this process, rice is bombarded with rice flour sufficient to create microperforations in the water-resistant outer coat of the seed. These microperforations in the treated rice significantly increase the rate of hydration, and hence, decrease cooking time to about 20 minutes. A patent has been filed and the technology has been licensed to several U.S. companies. A new environmentally friendly process for the manufacture of rice starch was developed. Rice starch (<0.5% protein) is not manufactured in the U.S; it is primarily being imported from Europe. In a recent development in our lab, starch-protein agglomerates of rice are physically disrupted in the presence of water by use of a high pressure homogenizer called microfluidizer® followed by density base separation. This process is licensed and currently being scaled-up for commercialization by Sage V Foods from California.