Development of a limited-water soaking method on the fortification of rice with calcium and iron by parboiling

Investigation of rice performance characteristics: A comparative study of LR, ANN, and RSM

Parboiling is a type of heat pretreatment used in rice processing to reach higher head rice yield and improve the nutrition properties of raw rice. In this research, the goals were prediction and determination of optimum conditions for parboiled rice processing using the response surface method (RSM) as well as modeling the output values by linear regression (LR) and artificial neural networks (ANN). The parameters including steaming time (0, 5, 10, and 15 min), dryer type (solar and continuous dryers), and drying air temperature (35, 40, and 45°C) were employed as input values. In addition, the breakage resistance (BR) and head rice yield (HRY) were selected as output values. The ANN‐based nonlinear regression, the multi‐layer perceptron (MLP), and the radial basis function (RBF) have been developed to model the process parameters, as well as the central composite design (CCD) was conducted for optimization of BR and HRY values. The outputs of RBF network have been successfully applied to predict higher coefficient of determination of BR and HRY as 0.989 and 0.986, respectively, indicating the appropriateness of the model equation in predicting head rice yield and breakage resistance when the three processing variables (steaming time, dryer type, and drying air temperature) are mathematically combined. Also, the lower root mean square error (RMSE) was obtained for each one as 0.043 and 0.041. The optimum values of BR and HRY were obtained as 12.80 N and 67.3%, respectively, at 9.62 min and 36.9°C for a solar dryer with a desirability of 0.941. In addition, the same values were obtained as 14.50 N and 72.1%, respectively, at 8.77 min and 37.0°C for a continuous dryer with a desirability of 0.971.

Rice: a potential vehicle for micronutrient fortification

The choices of consumer towards food have been changed. Consumer prefers to eat food which is not only safe but also nutritious. Now a day, they like to eat the food which promote their health and help in minimizing nutrition related health hazards. Rice is a staple food in many countries, but most emerging issue is that rice is deficit in minerals. Rice ranks second among cereals in dietary uses around the world. Rice is deficit in iron (Fe) zinc (Zn) and these are important micronutrients for infants, men and women. Fortification of rice with iron and zinc would help to minimize nutrient deficient disorders among humans. Present study is aimed to introduce nutrients rich rice for consumers and also to encourage food-fortification organizations for diverting their focus on rice fortification. In south Asian countries, micronutrient deficiency especially Fe and Zn deficiency is very common. The rice because of its use as a staple food can be utilized as a carrier medium for transporting micronutrients from plants sources to human beings. Hence, rice fortification with microminerals can prove as a miracle for the virtual eradication of nutrition related diseases in humans.

Interventions to improve calcium intake through foods in populations with low intake

Calcium intake remains inadequate in many low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa and South Asia, where average intakes can be below 400 mg/day. Given the vital role of calcium in bone health, metabolism, and cell signaling, countries with low calcium intake may want to consider food-based approaches to improve calcium consumption and bioavailability within their population. This is especially true for those with low calcium intake who would benefit the most, including pregnant women (by reducing the risk of preeclampsia) and children (by reducing calcium-deficiency rickets). Specifically, some animal-source foods that are naturally high in bioavailable calcium and plant foods that can contribute to calcium intake could be promoted either through policies or educational materials. Some food processing techniques can improve the calcium content in food or increase calcium bioavailability. Staple-food fortification with calcium can also be a cost-effective method to increase intake with minimal behavior change required. Lastly, biofortification is currently being investigated to improve calcium content, either through genetic screening and breeding of high-calcium varieties or through the application of calcium-rich fertilizers. These mechanisms can be used alone or in combination based on the local context to improve calcium intake within a population.

Effect of high pressure impregnation on micronutrient transfer in rice

Rice, consumed by most people across the world, serves as a great mode for carrying nutrients. The processed, starch-rich white rice is mostly devoid of nutrients. High-pressure processing (HPP) is a technology known to produce cold gelatinizing effects in starch. This work shows the application of HPP in fortification of two types of white rice through high pressure gelatinization. The rice grains were impregnated with vitamin B₁, calcium, and zinc. HPP treatment was carried out at the temperatures of 50 °C and 70 °C for up to 20 min. The samples were analysed for thiamine using the fluorometric method and minerals using ICP-MS. Results showed that the transfer of nutrients increases with treatment temperature and time, producing high level of nutrient uptake. HPP-fortified rice also showed stability after storage of two months. The moderate-temperature HPP has a great potential to be used as a method to produce a ready-to-eat variety of rice.

Enhancing health benefits of milled rice: current status and future perspectives

Milled rice is an essential part of the regular diet for approximately half of the world's population. Its remarkable commercial value and consumer acceptance are mostly due to its promising cooking qualities, appealing sensory properties, and longer shelf life. However, the significant loss of the nutrient-rich bran layer during milling makes it less nutritious than the whole grain. Thus, enhancing the nutritive value of milled rice is vital in improving the health and wellbeing of rice consumers, particularly for those residing in the low-economic zones where rice is the primary source of calories and nutrition. This article provides a critical review on multiple frontiers of recent interventions, such as (1) infusing the genetic diversity to enrich amylose and resistant starch to reduce glycaemic index, (2) enhancing the minerals and vitamins through complementary fortification and biofortification as short and long-term interventions, and (3) developing transgenic solutions to improve the nutrient levels of milled rice. Additionally, the review highlights the benefits of functional ingredients of milled rice to human health and the potential of enhancing them in rice to address the triple burden of malnutrition. The potential merit of milled rice concerning food safety is also reviewed in this article.

Retention of Zn, Fe and phytic acid in parboiled biofortified and non-biofortified rice

Biofortified rice with high Zn concentration could reduce Zn deficiency in South Asia. This population frequently parboils rice. True retention (TR) of Zn, Fe and phytic acid after parboiling and milling was evaluated in biofortified and non-biofortified rice. TR in milled non-parboiled rice was 63.8-89.6% for Zn, 21.1-44.5% for Fe and 16.4-40.3% for phytic acid, whereas in milled parboiled rice TR was 49.8-72.2% for Zn, 23.4-36.7% for Fe and 22.0-33.3% for phytic acid. Milled parboiled rice resulted in lower Zn TR compared to milled non-parboiled. These results suggest that Zn moves from the inner endosperm towards the outer layers during parboiling, regardless of initial Zn concentration, consequently, once milled, the potential impact of Zn intake on Zn deficiency from parboiled rice is less than non-parboiled rice. Despite Zn losses during processing, biofortified rice could provide over 50% of the Zn EAR for children.