Pilot Scale Mill Characterization and Evaluation of Rice Bran Oil Concentration of Jazzman Rice

Abstract

The demand for aromatic rice has increased in the United States during the last two decades. Jazzman, the first US-bred jasmine-type rice variety, was released by the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter Rice Research Station in 2008 to compete for a market share of jasmine-type rice. Jazzman, a long grain aromatic rice variety, was developed from a cross between Ahrent and an unreleased aromatic Chinese rice line 96a-8. In pre-release field tests and laboratory scale evaluation, Jazzman rice yield and milling quality compared favorably with two high-yielding and good-milling non-aromatic long grain varieties, Cypress and Cheniere. Pilot scale evaluation of Jazzman for milling quality supported laboratory scale evaluation while providing additional data for milling optimization. Pilot scale milling uses larger rice samples than laboratory scale testing and employs a continuous process instead of the batch process used at laboratory scale. As a result, pilot scale milling offers more comprehensive information regarding the milling yield and quality of rice varieties as they are considered for industrial scale release. Another consideration for new rice varieties involves their potential for value-added processing, in which waste streams during processing can be used to create valuable products. The oil from rice bran is one such product. The objective of this study was to use pilot scale milling to determine the potential of Jazzman for industrial scale release, including its potential for value-added processing. Results showed that bran was easily removed during milling; the head rice recovery ranged from 66% to 74% as a function of milling flow rate. Water polishing had little effect on head rice recovery, but improved the final degree of milling (DOM) to a commercially acceptable level of 87 - 90. Additionally, rice bran oil concentration decreased as pilot scale flow rate increased, indicating that oil was concentrated in the outer bran layer of Jazzman. Pilot scale milling shows that Jazzman is a high-yielding and good-milling aromatic long grain rice variety.