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Methods for Quality Testing
Ways to Measure Cooking Properties
One of the most important processes to measure is how well cooked is a rice after processing. When setting up a new product, you have to make sure the rice kernel is completely cooked or is it cooked enough so that when you microwave it, it will still be acceptable or that the rice will not fall apart under processing conditions.
There are no industry-wide methods that have been established to determine cooking of rice. There is an Amylograph method and an RVA (Rapid Visco Analyser) pasting method in the AACC International Methods manual (see Applications section and methods for Quality Testing.
Current Industry ways to evaluate cooking (thermal processing)
- Water absorption-rice that is cooked to different times will absorb different amounts of water.
- Starch pasting properties-use of machines such as the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) or the Brabender Visco Amylo-Graph to look at viscosity increases as a ground rice sample is cooked.
- Texture-some equipment can measure how hard or soft the sample is.
Stickiness or separateness of kernels can be changed by changing water amounts used in cooking and by cooking for different times.
Approved Methods For Analysis of Rice
The following methods have been approved by AACC International.
44-15A Moisture-Air-Oven Method
61-01 Amylograph Method for Milled Rice
61-02 Determination of the Pasting Properties of Rice with the Rapid Visco Analyser
61-03 Amylose Content of Milled Rice
61-99 Glossary-Rice
64-71 Mechanical Sampling of Dry, Free-Flowing Granular Material
These methods are available from AACC International
http://www.aaccnet.org/ApprovedMethods/top.htm
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