Influence of Storing Rough Rice with High Moisture Content on Subsequent Drying Characteristics and Milling Quality

The objective of this research was to determine the influence on drying characteristics and resultant milling quality of storing high moisture content (MC) rough rice (Oryza sativa L. ‘Bengal’ and ‘Cypress’) under various conditions and durations before drying. Immediately after harvest, drying experiments were performed with samples of both cultivars using two drying air conditions: 52°C with 25% rh and 60°C with 17% rh. Rough rice from each cultivar also was stored for 27 and 76 days at ‐9 or 4°C. After storage, all samples were dried under the same two drying air conditions as at harvest. Head rice yields (HRY) were determined for all dried samples. There were no significant differences between the drying rates or resultant HRY of Bengal or Cypress rice samples stored for either 27 or 76 days at both storage temperatures and then dried compared with the HRY of samples dried immediately after harvest. This research shows that it may be possible to store high MC rice for extended periods of time without detrimental effects on HRY.     

Effects of Postharvest Elevated‐Temperature Exposure on Rice Quality and Functionality

Rapid drying with high‐temperature air has gained interest in the rice industry, but the effects of elevated‐temperature exposure on physicochemical properties of rice are of concern. This study investigated the effects of exposing rough rice to elevated temperatures for various durations without removing moisture. Physicochemical property response was evaluated in terms of head rice yield (HRY), germination rate (GR), milled‐rice yellowing, pasting properties, and gelatinization temperatures. Two long‐grain cultivars (pure‐line Wells and hybrid CL XL729) at initial moisture contents (IMCs) of 17.9 and 18.6%, respectively, and dried moisture content (DMC) of 12.5%, were hermetically sealed and exposed to 40, 60, and 80°C for various durations. Exposure to 80°C of IMC samples of Wells and CL XL729 resulted in a significant (2.3–2.5 percentage point) reduction in the HRYs. A 2 hr exposure of both cultivars at IMC level to 60°C completely inhibited GR, and exposure to 80°C of the cultivars at both moisture content (MC) levels immediately inhibited GR. Exposure to 80°C for almost all durations and 60°C for durations over 4 hr produced significant yellowing in both cultivars at IMC. Significant yellowing in both cultivars at DMC was also observed during a 28 day storage following 80°C exposure. In general, peak viscosities of both cultivars at IMC increased only after extended exposure to 40 and 60°C, but peak viscosities of the cultivars exposed to 80°C increased sharply and immediately upon exposure. No significant differences were observed in gelatinization temperatures of either cultivar at either MC level from elevated‐temperature exposure. Results from this study suggest that extreme‐temperature exposure of rough rice affects HRY, GRs, yellowing, and pasting properties of rice, but the extent of impact is MC dependent.     

Effects of Rough Rice Storage Conditions on the Amylograph and Cooking Properties of Medium-Grain Rice cv. Bengal

Rough rice (cv. Bengal) was stored at four moisture contents (8.8, 10.7, 12.9, and 13.6% MC) and three temperatures (3, 20, and 37°C) for up to six months. The amylograph overall paste viscosity of the milled rice increased during storage. This increase was most apparent in all samples stored at 37°C. For rice stored at 20 and 37°C at all MC levels, a 30–50% increase in peak viscosity (PV) was observed during the first three months of storage. PV subsequently leveled off for rice stored at 12.9 and 13.6% MC but declined for samples stored at 8.8 and 10.7% MC. The final viscosities also increased during storage. The water-absorption ratio of the samples during cooking in excess water increased by an average of 15% over six months of storage. The amylograph and cooking properties were significantly affected (P < 0.05) by rough rice storage duration, temperature, MC, and their respective interactions.     

Glassy State Transition and Rice Drying: Development of a Brown Rice State Diagram

The effect of moisture content (MC) on the glass transition temperature (T_g) of individual brown rice kernels of Bengal, a medium‐grain cultivar, and Cypress, a long‐grain cultivar, was studied. Three methods were investigated for measuring T_g: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Among these methods, TMA was chosen, because it can also measure changes in the thermal volumetric coefficient (β) of the kernel during glass transition. TMA‐measured T_g at similar MC levels for both cultivars were not significantly different and were combined to generate a brown rice state diagram. Individual kernel T_g for both cultivars increased from 22 to 58°C as MC decreased from 27 to 3% wb. Linear and sigmoid models were derived to relate T_g to MC. The linear model was sufficient to describe the property changes in the MC range encountered during rice drying. Mean β values across both cultivars in the rubbery state was 4.62 × 10^‐4/°C and was higher than the mean β value of 0.87 × 10^‐4/°C in the glassy state. A hypothetical rice drying process was mapped onto the combined state diagram generated for Bengal and Cypress.     

Dry Matter Loss for Hybrid Rough Rice Stored Under Reduced‐Oxygen Conditions

The objectives of this research were to characterize dry matter loss of hybrid long‐grain rough rice during storage under reduced‐oxygen conditions and develop a new approach to predict the dry matter loss by using storage temperature and relative humidity data as input. Two long‐grain hybrid rice cultivars, CL XL745 and XL760, harvested in the year 2015 were stored in rough‐rice form in sealed glass jars at moisture contents of 12.5, 16, 19, and 21%, (wet basis) and temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 27, and 40°C for a total of 16 weeks, with samples taken at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 weeks of storage. Results revealed no differences in dry matter loss connected with the rough‐rice moisture content levels and temperature during the storage duration. However, the dry matter loss was statistically different based on rough‐rice cultivar. Experimental data were fitted to a dry matter loss equation for long‐grain rice found in literature. The dry matter loss equation developed for conditions of grain storage without oxygen limitation did not accurately predict rough‐rice dry matter loss under reduced‐oxygen conditions. Equation constants generated for reduced‐oxygen storage conditions were significantly lower than the typical constants used for long‐grain rice in literature. Hence, integration of rice cultivar and storage conditions such as oxygen supply is crucial for accurate determination of kinetics of dry matter loss during storage of hybrid long‐grain rough rice.     

Preservation of Head Rice Yield Under High‐Temperature Tempering as Explained by the Glass Transition of Rice Kernels

Tempering has been shown in literature to preserve head rice yield after heated air drying. Most reported tempering work was done adiabatically at a temperature below that for rice drying. In this study, the effect of a tempering temperature above that for rice drying on the whole kernel percentage was investigated. High‐temperature tempering is an effective way to preserve the whole kernel percentage for rice dried at a raised temperature (e.g., 60°C) at which head rice yield would otherwise incur a pronounced reduction without tempering. Tempering helped relax the strains inside a rice kernel induced by internal stresses developed during the drying process. The strains had two components (elastic component and viscous component) due to the viscoelasticity of rice kernels. The reduction of moisture content gradients inside a rice kernel during tempering helped eliminate the elastic component of the strains due to the elasticity of the rice kernel. Results showed that to effectively eliminate the viscous component of the strains due to the viscosity of the rice kernel, tempering temperatures must be kept well above the glass transition temperature of the rice kernel. A tempering temperature below the glass transition temperature failed to preserve the whole kernel percentage. For example, with a tempering temperature of 80°C and a tempering duration of 80 min, the whole kernel percentage for the rice with an initial moisture content of 20.4% wb dried at 60°C and 17% rh for 120 min down to 10.2% wb (10.2 percentage points of moisture content removal in one drying pass) was preserved to a level close to that of the control sample.     

Effect of Moisture Content and Temperature on Respiration Rate of Rice

One cause of yellowing or stackburn of rice may be elevated respiration rates caused by storage at either high moisture content (MC) or temperature. The effect of MC and temperature on the respiration rate of Oryza sativa L. ‘Bengal’ and ‘Cypress’ rice harvested in the fall of 1998 was investigated. For respiration rate measurement of rough rice at different temperatures, rice samples at high, medium, and low MC were sealed in quart jars and equilibrated to temperatures of 20–80°C. The respiration rate was quantified by measuring the rate of CO₂ accumulation in the free air space. To determine the effect of MC on respiration rate, rough rice was tested at 12–25% MC. Respiration was greatly affected by MC and temperature. The response of respiration to temperature was dependent on MC and varied between rice cultivars. Respiration rates increased as MC increased from ≈15 to 25%. Maximum respiration was at 50°C when MC was high (20–25%). At 15% MC, respiration increased from 20 to 70°C, while respiration of 12% MC rice, although very low, appeared to increase up to 80°C. A model was developed from this data to predict the respiration rate of rice over the MC range tested.     

Effect of Infrared and Conventional Drying Methods on Physicochemical Characteristics of Stored White Rice

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of infrared (IR) drying followed by tempering and natural cooling on the change of physicochemical characteristics of white rice during up to 10 months of storage. The physicochemical characteristics of IR‐dried rice were also compared with those of conventionally dried rice. It took only 58 s to heat the rough rice from room temperature to 60°C with IR, and 2.17 percentage points of moisture was removed. After four months of storage, the increases in yellowness index, water uptake ratio, and volume expansion ratio of the rice dried with IR were 73.8, 63.9, and 55.3% those of rice dried with an ambient air drying method, respectively. IR drying slightly decreased the gelatinization temperature, enthalpy, and viscosities, reduced the changes in microstructure, and maintained cooking characteristics during storage. Therefore, the IR drying process is recommended to maintain the quality of white rice during storage.     

Surface Lipid and Free Fatty Acids (FFA) Content of Head and Broken Rice Produced by Milling After Different Drying Treatments

The surface lipids and free fatty acids (FFA) content of head and broken rice samples generated through milling after various drying treatments were studied. Long grain cultivars Francis, Wells, and Cypress, and medium grain cultivar Bengal were dried under three air conditions (mild 25°C, 50% rh; moderate 45°C, 40% rh; and stressed 65°C, 20% rh) for two durations (10 and 30 min). Immediately after drying, the rough rice samples were placed in a conditioning chamber to continue drying slowly to ⋍12.5% moisture content (MC), which occurred within three to five days. After dehulling, a McGill No. 2 mill was used to mill the samples for 30 sec. The head rice yield (HRY) for all rice samples were within the range of 40–68%. Rice surface lipid was extracted with isopropanol (IPA) and the lipid and FFA content of the IPA extracts were determined. Broken rice kernels had significantly greater surface lipid and FFA content than head rice kernels. The surface FFA contents of broken kernels were within the range of 0.045–0.065% of broken rice mass, while that of head rice was 0.027–0.040%. Broken ricehad greater b values indicating greater yellow color than did head rice.     

Effects of Postharvest Parameters on Functional Changes During Rough Rice Storage

The expansion of value‐added uses for rice has created a demand for quantitative models of functional changes during postharvest handling. Consequently, this study evaluated the effects of postharvest parameters on the functional properties of long‐grain (cvs. Cypress and Kaybonnet) and medium‐grain (cv. Bengal) rice. The experimental treatments included rough rice drying conditions (low vs. high temperature drying), storage moisture content (10, 12, and 14%), storage temperature (4, 21, and 38°C), and storage duration (up to 36 weeks). Milling, cooking, and amylograph pasting properties were analyzed. Polynomial models (up to third‐order) were developed to describe the effects of postharvest factors on the functional properties. Drying treatments, storage moisture content, and storage duration affected (P < 0.05) all of the functional properties. Storage temperature influenced (P < 0.01) cooking and pasting properties, but not milling properties. Overall, there were significant interactions among the postharvest parameters. Additionally, these factors were related to the functional properties by higher‐order relationships.     

Physicochemical Properties of Rice Dried in a Single Pass Using High Temperatures

This study evaluated the physicochemical properties of high‐temperature, single‐pass dried rough rice. Pureline cultivars Wells (long grain) and Jupiter (medium grain) and hybrid cultivar CL XL729 (long grain), at initial moisture contents of 17.9–18.1% were dried in a single pass to approximately 12.5% moisture content with drying air temperatures of 60, 70, and 80°C and relative humidities of 13–83%. Immediately after drying, the samples were tempered for 1 h at the drying air temperatures in sealed plastic bags. Color, degree of milling, pasting viscosity, and thermal properties of the milled rice were evaluated. Results showed that color, degree of milling, and thermal properties were not affected by drying treatments. However, peak and final viscosities increased with increasing drying air temperatures in all three cultivars.     

Properties of Flours and Starches as Affected by Rough Rice Drying Regime

Flours and starches from rough rice dried using different treatment combinations of air temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) were studied to better understand the effect of drying regime on rice functionality. Rough rice from cultivars Bengal and Cypress were dried to a moisture content of ≈12% by three drying regimes: low temperature (T 20°C, RH 50%), medium temperature (T 40°C, RH 12%), and high temperature (T 60, RH 17%). Head rice grains were processed into flour and starch and evaluated for pasting characteristics with a Brabender Viscoamylograph, thermal properties with differential scanning calorimetry, starch molecular‐size distribution with high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), and amylopectin chain‐length distribution with high‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC‐PAD). Lower head rice and starch yields were obtained from the batch dried at 60°C which were accompanied by an increase in total soluble solids and total carbohydrates in the pooled alkaline supernatant and wash water used in extracting the starch. Drying regime caused no apparent changes on starch molecular‐size distribution and amylopectin chain‐length distribution. Starch fine structure differences were due to cultivar. The pasting properties of flour were affected by the drying treatments while those of starch were not, suggesting that the grain components removed in the isolation of starch by alkaline‐steeping were important to the observed drying‐related changes in rice functionality.     

Relating Rice Milling Quality Changes During Adsorption to Individual Kernel Moisture Content Distribution

Several varieties of rough rice that were either stored for an extended period of time or freshly harvested were conditioned to initial moisture contents ranging from 10 to 17%. After the individual kernel moisture content distributions were measured, the samples were soaked in water at temperatures ranging from 10 to 40°C. The samples were then dried and milled. The bulk critical moisture content, at which head rice yield began to decline due to moisture adsorption, ranged from 12.5 to 14.9%, depending on the variety, harvest moisture content, and storage conditions. The kernel critical moisture content, determined from each sample from the cumulative kernel moisture content frequency distribution, increased with increasing sample initial moisture content.     

Impact of Soaking Temperature and Duration on Fissure Incidence of Rough Rice Kernels

Internal stresses owing to moisture and temperature gradients often result in the development of rice kernel fissures. Fissured rough rice kernels tend to break upon milling and potentially reduce the market value of rice. This work was conducted on the premise that fissures may be healed by soaking in water at a specific temperature and duration. Fissured rough rice kernels of a long‐grain cultivar, Wells, were selected by X‐ray imaging. Fissured kernels were soaked in a water bath at six soaking temperatures (22, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80°C) and three soaking durations (1, 2, and 3 h) and then gently dried for characterization. X‐ray images revealed that soaking at 75°C for 3 h healed up to 70.0% of the fissured kernels. Soaking at 22, 60, or 65°C did not result in healing. For normal kernels, soaking at different temperatures for 3 h created fissures. Bending tests using a texture analyzer showed that brown rice breaking force increased from 18.5 N (fissured kernels) to 43.7 N (healed kernels). Soaking rough rice in water at a temperature slightly above its onset gelatinization temperature may potentially heal fissures.     

Infrared Drying Characteristics of Long‐Grain Hybrid,Long‐Grain Pureline,and Medium‐Grain Rice Cultivars

The objective for this study was to investigate the effectiveness of scaled‐up infrared (IR) heating followed by tempering steps to dry freshly harvested rough rice. An industrial‐type, pilot‐scale, IR heating system designed to dry rough rice was used in this study. The heating zone of the equipment had catalytic IR emitters that provided heat energy to the sample as it was conveyed on a vibrating belt. The sample comprised freshly harvested rough rice of long‐grain pureline (Cheniere), long‐grain hybrid (6XP 756), and medium‐grain (CL 271) cultivars at initial moisture contents of 23, 23.5, and 24% wb, respectively. Samples at a loading rate of 1.61 kg/m² were heated with IR of radiation intensity 5.55 kW/m² for 30, 50, 90, and 180 s followed by tempering at 60°C for 4 h, at a product‐to‐emitter‐gap size of 450 mm, in one‐ and two‐pass drying operations. Control samples were gently natural air dried in an equilibrium moisture content chamber set at relative humidity of 65% and temperature of 26°C to moisture content of 12.5% wb. The effects of IR treatments followed by tempering on percentage points of moisture removed, head rice yield, energy use, rice color, and pasting characteristics were evaluated. For all cultivars, percentage point moisture removed increased with increase in IR drying duration. For all rice cultivars, one‐pass IR treatments for 180 s resulted in head rice yield significantly lower than that of rice dried with natural air in the controlled‐environment conditions (P < 0.05). Energy required to dry rice increased with increase in drying duration. Viscosity values of all the experimental samples were significantly greater (P value < 0.05) than that of the control samples for all the cultivars, except those treated with IR for 180 s. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the color index (ΔE ) of treated milled samples and the controls. In conclusion, the study provided information crucial to understanding the effects of scaled‐up radiant heating and tempering of rough rice on drying rates and rice quality for long‐grain pureline, long‐grain hybrid, and medium‐grain rice cultivars.     

Effect of Ultrasonic Treatment of Brown Rice at Different Temperatures on Cooking Properties and Quality

This research studied developing quick cooking brown rice by investigating the effect of ultrasonic treatment at different temperatures on cooking time and quality. The medium grain brown rice was ultrasonically treated in water at temperatures of 25, 40, and 55°C for 30 min and then dried by air at 25°C to its initial moisture content (11.0 ± 0.6%, wb) before cooking. The microstructure of rice kernel surface, chemical composition, and optimal cooking time of treated brown rice were determined. The pasting and thermal properties and chemical structure of flour and starch from treated brown rice were also examined. The results showed that the optimal cooking times were 37, 35, and 33 min after treatment at 25, 40, and 55°C, respectively, compared to the control of 39.6 min. The ultrasonic treatment resulted in a loss in natural morphology of rice bran, allowing water to be absorbed by a rice kernel easily, particularly at high‐temperature treatment. Even through rice flour still maintained an A‐pattern in the pasting properties, the crystallinity significantly increased after treatment at 55°C. Ultrasonic treatment increased the peak, hold, and final viscosities and decreased the onset temperature (T_o) and peak temperature (T_p), significantly. Thus, ultrasonic treatment could be used for reducing cooking time of brown rice.     

Physical and Cooking Quality of Spaghetti Made from Whole Wheat Durum

The effects of cultivar on dough properties of ground whole wheat durum, and the effects of cultivar and drying temperature on the physical and cooking quality of spaghetti made from semolina and whole wheat were evaluated. Rankings of cultivars based on dough properties were similar for whole wheat and semolina. Dough made from whole wheat was weak and had poor stability. Whole wheat spaghetti had a rough reddish brown surface compared with the very smooth, translucent yellow color of spaghetti made from semolina. The reddish brown color of whole wheat spaghetti was enhanced by high‐temperature drying (70°C). Mechanical strength and cooking quality of spaghetti made from ground whole wheat or semolina varied with cultivar and with drying temperature. Compared with spaghetti made from semolina, whole wheat spaghetti had lower mechanical strength and cooked firmness and had greater cooking loss. Mechanical strength of whole wheat spaghetti was lower when dried at high temperature (70°C) than at low temperature (40°C). Conversely, the mechanical strength of spaghetti made from semolina was greater when dried at high temperature than at low temperature. Whole wheat and traditional spaghetti dried at high temperature had lower cooking losses than spaghetti dried at low temperature. When overcooked 6 min, firmness of spaghetti made from semolina or whole wheat was greater when dried at high temperature than at low temperature.     

Thermomechanical Transitions of Rice Kernels

Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to investigate the thermal transitions of long‐grain rice kernels. Three distinct thermomechanical transitions were identified as rice kernels were heated from 0 to 200°C. The identified transitions were a low temperature transition with onset at ≈45°C, an intermediate temperature transition at ≈80°C, and a high temperature transition at ≈180°C. Low temperature transition with onset from ≈60°C at 5% moisture content (MC) to 30°C at 20% MC was identified as the glass transition of the rice kernels. Intermediate temperature transition from 60 to 100°C, depending on MC, may be caused by rapid evaporation of moisture in the rice kernels. High temperature transition was associated with melting of the crystalline structure of rice starch. The temperatures of all three transitions decreased as MC increased, confirming that moisture acted as a plasticizer in rice kernels.     

Effect of Aqueous Impregnation of Rice Kernels with Gum Arabic and Xanthan on Storage Stability of Frozen Rice Cakes

Rice kernels were steeped (10°C, 5 h) in an aqueous solution containing gum arabic (0.36%) and xanthan (0.24%) and then drained, wet‐milled, and steamed to prepare rice cakes. The cakes were then frozen (–40°C for 50 min). The effect of the gum addition on the textural properties of the cakes during storage for 46 h at 25°C after being thawed was examined. Using the combination of gum arabic and xanthan mitigated the quality deterioration of rice cakes such as aggregation of rice flour, which had been induced by xanthan alone. Also, the increase in hardness during storage was substantially reduced by soaking rice kernels in the gum arabic/xanthan solution. Overall results revealed that the steeping in the gum solution improved the storage stability of rice cakes.     

Effect of Aging on the Quality of Glutinous Rice Crackers

The experiment was conducted to study the effects of aging on the physicochemical properties of two Thai cultivars of milled glutinous rice (RD6 and RD8). The amylose and protein content of rice samples did not change when stored from 0 to 4 months. Amylograph curves from samples of milled rice stored from 0 to 8 months were analyzed. Both cultivars gave constant gelatinization temperature during aging. The values for peak viscosity, final viscosity on cooking at 94°C, viscosity on cooling to 50°C and breakdown decreased significantly for RD6 cultivar, whereas the setback value and consistency were not changed significantly. For RD8 cultivar, no significant difference was observed for viscosity on cooling to 50°C and consistency during aging up to 8 months. Peak viscosity and breakdown value were reduced during storage, whereas the final viscosity on cooking at 94°C and setback value increased with time. Raw milled rice of both RD6 and RD8 cultivars have similar water uptake rates. Stored rice tended to have a lower water uptake rate which increased proportionately with soaking time. Samples from both rice cultivars were used to make rice crackers to study the effects of aging on quality. Volume expansion of rice crackers made from RD6 and RD8 cultivars tended to decrease during storage which resulted in an increase in the hardness of the crackers.