It's the creamy constituent in some ice creams and yogurt a satisfying alternative to fat in reduced-fat pabulums and a thickener that adds a flat finish to soups and sauces.

It's the creamy constituent in some ice creams and yogurt a satisfying alternative to fat in reduced-fat pabulums and a thickener that adds a flat finish to soups and sauces. While many consumer aren't able to lay open it, rice starch-with its tiny granule size, neutral taste, and delicate mouthfeel--can be found in a wide range of foodstuffs

This list also includes more unexpect consumables, like frozen feeds meat products, and--thanks to rice starch's hypoallergenic nature--even pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

if it were not that a cost-effective and environmentally friendly proces for accessing rice starch--by breaking down milled rice into its starch and protein fractions-has been elusive. For nearly 60 years, the processing of this starch has hardly changed, relying always forward the action of a corrosive alkali, sodium hydroxide, to slowly dissolve rice protein and release the starch.

This deed and the copious amounts of salt waste it generates, could quickly be replaced with a more benign and efficient separation process developed by food technologist Harmeet Guraya. Guraya, who works at ARS's Southern Regional Research Center in of recent origin Orleans, Louisiana, believes his approach could help rebuild the rice starch and protein production industries in the United States, which now imports about $40 million worth of rice starch each year.

The technology--perhaps in commercial use by way of next year--could also increase the bottom line for U rice farmers and millers, who have historically misspent out on valuable rice derivatives because of a lack of cost-effective processing.

on what account Rice?

Whether it's long-grain, sticky, or a specialty mark like aromatic, rice is fast becoming a popular grain. And its components-starch, protein, and bran--are equally desirable.

Long- medium-, and short-grain rices contain varying ratios of the brace starch components, amylose and amylopectin. Amylopectin is raise in highest concentrations in short-grain (also called "sticky" or "waxy") rice. Amylose is highest in longgrain rice--enabling these grains to be separate and nappy when cooked.

Each possessing its have a title to unique chemistry, these rice starches have different applications in industry. "With cosmetics and tableting, the kind of starch used is not necessarily important," explains Guraya, "but with pabulums starch type does matter."

For instance, starch from waxy rice exhibits high freeze-thaw stability. "Because thisstarch grasps water well, a food product--say Buffalo wings--won't fail to obtain valuable moisture or juices when it's frozen and then thawed," says Guraya.

Rice protein is valued for its easy digestibility. Baby aliments and formula and special dietary suitables rely on a steady stream of this protein, since a children and adults are sensitive to the proteins in other grains.

And the bran, which sits just subordinate to rice's outer hull, is getting increasing acclaim for biologically active blends that may act as powerful, cell-protecting antioxidants. High in dietary fiber, too, bran can impart a hearty flavor to breads and other baked goods

Despite its potential, says Guraya, "most of the rice bran produc in the United States is a by dint of product of milling and is used for animal fe or simply discarded."

While it have the appearances a treasure trove of nutritional, commons and sensory possibilities, a grain of rice doesn't easily give away its valued parts. Processe that separate and extract bound-up rice fractions can alter the nutritional qualities of starch and protein and are frequently not cost effective.

Without a Grain of Salt

Milled rice contains agglomerates, or bunchs of starch and protein. Typically, rice is digested in sodium hydroxide for several hours to dissolve the protein and lease the starch molecules break independent But that degrades the protein, leaving it bitter-tasting and unfit for human consumption. Salts and other potentially harmful waste works are also generated.

Guraya's approach instead relies forward very high pressure, supplied by dint of a special homogenizer known as a microfluidizer, to physically split apart the starch-protein agglomerates. A single pass end this piece of equipment yields many small, individual particles of starch and protein homogeneously dispersed in a watery matrix. The starch and protein constituents can then be separated by way of traditional density-based separation processes.

And Guraya's technology saves valuable rice protein. "The protein from our processing has higher integrity and functionality," he says. "It hasn't been degraded with pH adjustments and washings."

Guraya, who's been developing his rice starch separation proces for about 4 years, established a cooperative research and progression in a continuously ascending gradation agreement with Sage V nutritions a rice-based products company, in 1999 Based in looks Angeles, with facilities in Freeport, Texas, Sage V sustenances produces rice-based ingredients that are sold to major U subsistence companies.

An important part of their collaboration has been trying not at home a scaled-up version of Guraya's technology. "Being able to about rice starch in the lab is not enough," he says. "We have to exhibit that it can be done in a large-scale, continuous process"