May 12/Washington/American Chemical Society -- Liquid smoke flavoring made from hickory and other wood -- a mainstay flavoring and anti-bacterial agent for the prepared food industry and home kitchens -- may get a competitor that seems to be packed with antioxidant, antiallergenic and anti-inflammatory substances, according to a new study in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It is the first analysis of liquid smoke produced from rice hulls, the hard, inedible coverings of rice grains.
Mendel Friedman, Seok Hyun Nam and colleagues explain that wood from trees is typically used to produce liquid smoke, added to meat and other foods for a smoky taste. However, other types of plants can also be burned to make the popular seasoning. Rice is a prime candidate, with 680 million tons produced worldwide each year. Hulls account for 136 million tons of that amount and often go to waste. The researchers wondered rice hulls could be put to good use in a liquid form as a food flavoring, and did the first studies needed to determine if rice hull smoke is safe enough for food use.