Background and objectives
Polishing is a step of milling process to produce white rice. It influences rice quality. This study evaluates the effect of increased polishing duration (0, 1, 2, and 3 min) on the physical, milling, cooking, and sensory properties of novel mix‐colored Nigerian rice. These quality parameters influence the consumers’ choice.
Findings
Polishing duration had a significant effect on the physical, milling, cooking, and sensory properties of the milled rice. As the polishing duration increased, the length, width, length/width ratio, 1,000‐grain weight, bulk density, true density, porosity, optimum cooking time, cooking loss, aroma, and flavor of the milled rice reduced, while increased polishing duration increased the head rice yield, percentage broken rice, milled rice yield, percentage dockage, kernel elongation ratio, width expansion ratio, water uptake ratio, texture, appearance, and overall acceptability of the milled rice. The correlations between physical, milling, cooking, and sensory properties were strongly significant (p ˂ .01 and p ˂ 0.05).
Conclusions
This study revealed that increasing the polishing duration improves the cooking, head rice yield, milled rice yield, and some sensory quality attributes of the mix‐colored parboiled rice, but reduced its physical attributes.
Significance and novelty
The mix‐colored rice showed an improved milling, cooking, and sensory attributes but poor physical characteristics during polishing which is very vital to rice milling industry.