Study on shelf life of Brown Rice (under Lab. conditions.)
Rice is a staple food for the common people in India and several Asian countries, rice is richest in the nutrients as brown rice (rice with the husk taken off) because of the nutrient dense bran layer found on the grain surface during milling, this layer is removed deliberately as it make rice prone to infestation by insects and micro organisms leading to spoilage of grain in storage. The hulling process also breaks up cells in the outer layer releasing lipase enzyme, which catalyses the breakdown of the oil in the bran layer, librating free fatty acids that cause rancidity and awful flavor. Both of these factors are responsible for the short shelf life and poor acceptability of brown rice.
Brown rice is un-milled or partially milled rice, a natural grain that remains unbleached, it has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier than white rice and becomes rancid more quickly, but is far more nutritious, any rice including sticky rice, long grain rice or short grain rice, may be eaten as brown rice. Brown rice is the “unrefined” version of white rice. Before white rice went through the refining process, it at one time looked exactly like brown rice. Brown rice, unlike white rice, still has the side hull and bran, which makes it easier to digest as it is much “lighter” in the stomach.
The side hulls and bran provide “natural wholeness” to the grain and are rich in protein, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, fiber and potassium. For those trying to loose weight or those suffering from diabetes, brown rice can prove a healthful staple, given its low glycemic rating which helps to reduce insulin spikes. In the process of whitening, the white rice gets devoid of iron, vitamins, zinc, magnesium and other nutrients.
This traditionally denigrated kind of rice is now more expensive than common white rice, partially due to its relatively low supply and difficulty in storage. Under normal conditions of storage of rice bio-chemical changes occur deteriorating their quality. However, agro climatic conditions which are beyond our control may also influence and accelerate the rate of degradation in respect of physical, chemical and organoleptic quality parameters.
Rice is a staple food for the common people in India and several Asian countries, rice is richest in the nutrients as brown rice (rice with the husk taken off) because of the nutrient dense bran layer found on the grain surface during milling, this layer is removed deliberately as it make rice prone to infestation by insects and micro organisms leading to spoilage of grain in storage. The hulling process also breaks up cells in the outer layer releasing lipase enzyme, which catalyses the breakdown of the oil in the bran layer, librating free fatty acids that cause rancidity and awful flavor. Both of these factors are responsible for the short shelf life and poor acceptability of brown rice.
Brown rice is un-milled or partially milled rice, a natural grain that remains unbleached, it has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier than white rice and becomes rancid more quickly, but is far more nutritious, any rice including sticky rice, long grain rice or short grain rice, may be eaten as brown rice. Brown rice is the “unrefined” version of white rice. Before white rice went through the refining process, it at one time looked exactly like brown rice. Brown rice, unlike white rice, still has the side hull and bran, which makes it easier to digest as it is much “lighter” in the stomach.
The side hulls and bran provide “natural wholeness” to the grain and are rich in protein, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, fiber and potassium. For those trying to loose weight or those suffering from diabetes, brown rice can prove a healthful staple, given its low glycemic rating which helps to reduce insulin spikes. In the process of whitening, the white rice gets devoid of iron, vitamins, zinc, magnesium and other nutrients.
This traditionally denigrated kind of rice is now more expensive than common white rice, partially due to its relatively low supply and difficulty in storage. Under normal conditions of storage of rice bio-chemical changes occur deteriorating their quality. However, agro climatic conditions which are beyond our control may also influence and accelerate the rate of degradation in respect of physical, chemical and organoleptic quality parameters.
