How Rice Quality Is Built: From Seed Selection to Packaging
When consumers open a bag of rice, they usually judge the product by its appearance and cooking performance. But rice quality begins much earlier. Before rice reaches a supermarket shelf, several stages contribute to the final product from cultivation and harvesting to processing, grading and packaging. It Starts With the Crop The characteristics of rice begin with the variety being cultivated. Seed selection and agricultural practices therefore have an important role in the overall production process. Once paddy is harvested, it needs to be handled carefully before entering the processing stage. Cleaning and Processing Harvested paddy can contain materials that need to be removed before milling. Cleaning helps prepare the crop for further processing. Depending on the product, rice may then be processed as raw, steam or parboiled rice. Each method can influence the characteristics of the finished grain. Milling and Grading Milling removes the outer husk and produces edible rice. ...