Impact of milling and water-to-rice ratio on cooked rice and wastewater properties

Abstract

Due to the environmental concerns and expense associated with the disposal of wastewater after industrial cooking of rice, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of leaching, water uptake and volumetric expansion of rice during cooking at various milling durations and water-to-rice ratios. Two cultivars of Arkansas rice, a long grain (Francis) and a medium grain (Jupiter), were milled for 10, 20, and 30 s with a laboratory mill. Samples were cooked in aluminum foil covered beakers at water-to-rice ratios of 10:1, 15:1, and 20:1. After 20 min, rice was weighed for water uptake and measured for volumetric expansion using hexane displacement. The excess cooking water was evaluated for total solids, amylose, and protein to determine the extent of leaching. Water uptake and volumetric expansion significantly increased with milling duration in both cultivars. Leached solids increased as the water-to-rice ratio increased in Francis and increased with milling duration in Jupiter; however, the amylose content of leached solids was unaffected by the water-to-rice ratio in both cultivars. Thus, shorter milling durations may limit the extent of leaching during cooking, as observed with Jupiter, while a lower water-to-rice ratio may reduce wastewater contamination for cultivars similar to Francis.