Soaking Water Management Strategies for Enhanced Quality of Parboiled Rice

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Parboiling is a hydrothermal process that alters rice physicochemical and nutritional properties. The soaking step is crucial, influencing off‐flavor formation, mineral retention, and effluent quality. This study evaluated five soaking water (SW) management strategies combining different frequencies and volumes of SW change (0C–0 V, 1C–50 V, 1C–100 V, 2C–50 V, 2C–100 V) to optimize parboiled rice quality. Findings A single partial SW change (1C–50 V) lowered effluent organic load and off‐flavor compounds (~40%) without affecting quality. Most essential minerals remained stable, and while starch gelatinization (~99%) and crystallinity (~23%) remained stable, changes in pasting behavior revealed processing‐related structural modifications. Conclusions Controlled SW change improves volatile profile and reduced effluent organic load while preserving grain integrity. Significance and Novelty This study demonstrates, for the first time, that a single partial SW change enhances parboiled rice quality, offering a feasible approach for industrial processing.