New Uses for Rice 83
 

 

 

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Project Leader and Principal UC Investigators

R. M. Saunders, Western Regional Research Center, USDA, Albany, CA

 

Objectives

This project at the Western Regional Research Center was conducted to develop information and technology for new products from California rice. The products studied included new uses for rice flour, high protein rice flour and liquid sugars, rice bran oil and stabilized rice bran, and rice soy milk. Studies also were continued on a rice test mill suitable for quality testing small samples in rice breeding programs and routine screening. Products resulting from this work are expected to expand the use of rice in both domestic and foreign markets.

Rice Flour

Studies were confirmed that hydration and intense mixing just prior to use improve quality, volume, and appearance of layer cakes made from 100 percent rice flour. Products from rice flour are acceptable for use by persons on allergy-restricted diets that do not permit the use of wheat products. Short and medium grain rice always out-performed long grain rice in baking applications.

Three California waxy rice varieties were evaluated to compare and contrast their properties. Varieties compared were Mochigome, Calmochi-202, and Ampec. Very few differences were found in tests of the three varieties and none were significant. Mochigome had only a slightly softer gel consistency and slightly lower amylograph viscosity than the other two.

Ampec and Calmochi-202 were similar. Eating quality differences were found in the traditional mochi cakes made from the three varieties but reasons for these differences could not be determined.

High Protein Rice Flour and Liquid Sugars

A pilot plant model setup was designed and tested to produce highprotein rice flour (25 percent protein) from rice brokens and second-heads. This setup was based on a scaleup of the laboratory procedure reported last year. The protein concentration of the rice flour is increased enzymatically by digesting some of the insoluble starch to soluble sugars. The liquid sugars that are a by-product of the process can be used either as a sweetner in baked goods or as a substrate to grow yeast. The high protein rice flour is a possible alternative to soy-based infant foods. The pilot plant studies confirmed that the process would work on 25-pound batches of rice flour using commercial manufacturing equipment. More extensive studies are recommended to make the process more efficient.

Rice Bran Oil and Stabilized Rice Bran

Production of effectively stabilized rice bran was reported previously. Activities this past year have been in publicizing the process, promoting its use, and testing feeding quality with chicks. A presentation demonstrating the stabilization process, oil preparation, and nutritional qualities of the stabilized bran was made to the 1983 annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists.

Commercial negotiations have continued exploring the possibilities of stabilizing and exporting rice bran from California to Japan and/or Korea for oil extraction. A California based company (Brady Extruder Corp., Torrance) which manufactures the extrusion equipment used in the laboratory studies has been active in promoting new market possibilities.

Rice Soy Milk

Rice soy milk is a rice based infant food developed by the Western Regional Research Center. The U.S. State Department has recently invited a commercial rice company to submit samples, and the center has contracted the Wenger Company, Sabetha, Kansas, to supply the pregelatinized rice ingredient, to be prepared from California short or medium grain rice.

Rice Test Mill

The laboratory decorticating test mill developed earlier was successfully modified to dehull and debran 10gram samples of paddy rice in a single operation in about one minute. Tests are under way to determine the optimum impeller diameter and speed for short and medium grain paddy, to predict test milling yeilds, and correlate with present official methods.

 

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