Comparative study on the nutritional and sensory properties, and drying kinetics of two Nigerian rice cultivars

The demand for locally process rice grain has led to the development of improved processing conditions for maximum nutritional and quality products. This study, therefore, investigates the effect of parboiling temperature and time on the nutritional, sensory, and drying kinetics of two Nigerian rice cultivars. Agric and Ofada rice cultivars were subjected to three different parboiling temperatures (120, 135, and 150°C) and time (15, 20, and 25 min). The parboiled rice was analyzed for proximate composition, mineral content, sensory properties, and drying kinetics. Parboiling the rice cultivars at the three different temperatures significantly reduces the moisture content, ash, and crude fat of the rice grain. The total carbohydrate of the rice cultivars increased with an increase in parboiling temperature. All the mineral elements analyzed in this study were increased significantly with an increase in the parboiling temperature. Of all the rice samples, only paddy rice parboiled at 150°C for 25 min was the least accepted by the panelists. The drying kinetics revealed the Page model best predicts the drying of the two Nigerian rice cultivars. This study concluded the parboiling process significantly improved the nutritional, minerals, and sensory properties of the two Nigerian rice cultivars.