Rice Utilization and Product
Development-85
 
 

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Project Leader and Principal UC Investigators

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

 

Objectives

The USDA Western Regional Research Center in Albany conducts a project to develop new rice products for domestic and foreign markets. The three major objectives in 1985 were 1) an investigation of the quality characteristics of stored rices, 2) the stabilization of rice bran for use as a food source or as a source of edible oil, and 3) the development of new rice products that could lead to expanded markets.

Quality Characteristics of Stored Rice

Rice that is stored for a long time may develop odors, flavors, or discoloration that impair its quality. This study was to determine the influence of fungi in stored rice in relation to moisture content and storage time. Two field fungi and two storage fungi were investigated. After a few months the field fungi disappeared. The storage fungi, Aspergillus and Penicillium were present, but at low levels.

Milling removed most of the fungal spores, as they were associated with the hulls and bran, but a two-year old sample of fully milled rice contained many discolored grains that produced both Aspergillus and Penicillium growth. The fungal spores had infiltrated the external starch layers. Experiments are in progress to find treatments to prevent fungal growth without harming the rice.

Rice Bran Oil and Stabilized Rice Bran

In California, stabilized rice bran is being manufactured and used in formulating numerous food products. During 1985, about 80 tons of rice bran were shipped to Japan to test recovery of oil. Because of the successful results, negotiations are in progress between Japan and Korea and several California operators concerning large shipments of stabilized bran to these markets.

The Western Regional Research Center is providing data, test results, samples, and advice to all interested parties. The process for converting bran to an edible product is being promoted by the center through the use of video-film with soundtrack and by radio for foreign markets.

New Product Development

The Western Regional Research Center is working closely with several commercial organizations to further development of new food products from rice. Pacific Rice Products in Woodland is investigating rice crispies, crispy cakes, rice-flours, and various breakfast cereals. California Natural Products is working with rice syrups and high protein rice products with potential use as baby foods. Collaborative relationships have been established with Lundberg on rice cakes and with Gourmet Valley Foods on use of wild rice.

The Western Regional Research Center, in addition to providing technical assistance and analyses, has loaned processing equipment and use of its consumer testing facility.

Many of the new products are thriving and expanding in the domestic market.

Other Activities that Promote Use of Rice

A chapter on "Rice Flours in Baking" in a book, Rice: Chemistry and Technology, will be published soon by the American Assocation of Cereal Chemists. A chapter on Rice Bran: Composition and Potential Food Use was written for Food Reviews International.

New projects were initiated on measuring the degrees of rice milling and on assessing the role of ,β-glucans on rice cooking quality. Widespread publicity was generated in 1985 on production of high protein rice flour by amylytic hydrolysis of rice brokens.

 

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