Speakers - 2026

Title: Traditional parboiling process improvement through combined hydrothermal treatments in SriLanka

Abstract

Investigation was fabricated to produce quality parboiled rice of two improved Sri Lankan rice varieties Ambalanthota rice (At 362), Bathalagoda rice (Bg 366) and one traditional rice variety “Adakari” at laboratory scale Paddy parboiling process plant  . Investigate the different parboiling treatments combinations such as duration of soaking, and three steaming methods as Pressurized-Soaking Steam (PSS), Un-soaked Steam (USS) and Soak Steam (SS) were investigated on their quality standards in terms of milling and cooking quality standards, which refer as Head Rice Yield (HR) during milling and resistance starch formation (RS) during cooking and keeping Raw paddy rice as control. Among all combined parameters investigated in the milling yield analysis the process through improved streaming method of Pressure-soaked steam (PSS) was recorded as highest head rice yield as (90 ± 5%) which was achieved as higher milling yield than the other traditional steaming methods investigated, which achieved for 2 days of soaking duration (48 hrs.) and 30 minutes of steaming. All other compared steaming methods (USS and SS) achieved moderate head rice yield as 70 ± 5%. Rice cooked with excess water with duration of 30 minutes in electric rice cooker.  Texture analysis was performed by as texture analyzer after cooking under this process, variety (Adakari) performed better than other paddy variety in the formation of resistant starch under the pressurized soaked steam (PSS) process, in this texture investigation, which was yield a higher texture analyser outcome (10-12) N than other methods investigated. Pressure-soaked steam cooked samples show higher texture analyser outcome (N) therefore pressure-soaked steam parboiling method was performed better in terms of quality parboiled rice than other investigated treatments. Non-parboiled sample (control) was yield  a lower texture analyser outcome (6-7) N than parboiled rice samples tested. Statistical treatments column that we have a statistically significant interaction at the p < .0001 level, there was no statistically significant difference in between variety (p = 0.759), but there were statistically significant differences between steaming methods (p < .005).

Keywords:  Paddy soaking, steaming & drying, dehusking, milling and  head rice & texture analysis.