Trends in New Rice and Rice Flour Processing Technology for Expanding Rice Consumption

Abstract

  Japanese rice consumption has been on a declining trend. In 2006, it fell to approximately half of its 1960 level. A major factor in this decline has been the switch to a more western style dietary lifestyle with higher intakes of animal products and fat, which have reinforced the decrease in rice consumption. In the present paper, as an aid to thinking about how rice consumption can be expanded, the author introduce a number of new technologies concerning rice and rice flour. For example, new genetic traits have been introduced that have created rice varieties with new functions. Among these are low-amylose rice, which doesn't become hard even when it gets cold, and low-gultelin rice for patients with kidney diseases. Pre-washed rice was developed from the two standpoints of improving convenience when cooking rice and preventing water contamination from rice-washing water. Aseptic packaging technology was developed in order to make it easy to eat tasty pre-cooked rice. A new type of rice cooker has appeared equipped with a temperature program to draw out the full sweetness and deliciousness of cooked rice by activating the rice's enzymes during cooking. Moreover, technology for grinding rice flour into an extremely fine powder so that it can be used for the same purposes as wheat flour has gone on sale commercially. As a result, bread is now baked using rice flower and breads with new textures and gluten-free bread for people with wheat allergies have also appeared. Thanks to a slew of innovative technological developments such as these, an expansion in rice consumption can be expected in future.