June 2011 Prepared Foods – The U.S. produces 1.7% of the world’s rice. An increasingly important and functional ingredient, rice is comprised of 20% hull, 10% bran and 70% starch. There are applications for all of these components. Hulls can be processed into silicon dioxide replacer and flavor carriers. Bran can be used as an emulsifier, lecithin replacer, surfactant and dough conditioner. The broken white is the source of flour, starch, syrup, protein and maltodextrin.
The rice hull contains less than 3% protein and less than 1% fat. The carbohydrates it contains are cellulose, crude fiber and hemicellulose. As a silicon dioxide replacer, rice hulls are beneficial in spices, beverages, dry mixes, dried fruit and dried honey. In tea bags, rice hulls carry the flavor and can replace maltodextrin.