Evaluation of some chemical and physical properties and cooking behaviour of parboiled rice with different approaches

This study concentrated upon the steaming phase, in order to evaluate if the conditions of this phase could affect the behaviour of parboiled rice during cooking time using conventional and innovative analytical approaches. Four kinds of parboiled rice were analysed: three experimental samples, obtained through increasing steaming times, and a commercial parboiled rice. The features and other physical properties of the raw kernel were evaluated, and the results showed a different structure in the commercial rice compared to the experimental samples. Nevertheless, no significant differences were found between the experimental samples, either through analyses of the starch fraction or via a study of water absorption during the cooking cycle. Because the conventional approaches for the greater part of the test did not underline significant differences regarding the cooking behaviour of the experimental samples, we decided to use an innovative approach – FTNIR spectroscopy. The use of this technique, and the processing of the data obtained by the NIRS analysis, confirmed the impossibility of distinguishing between the three experimental kinds of rice.