Keywords

Rice, food storage

Abstract

Dry foods, such as white rice, are available for retail sale packaged in No. 10 cans for long-term storage in case of natural disasters or other emergencies. Little information is available regarding the quality of such products that are packaged for prolonged storage using hermetically sealed containers and oxygen absorbers. The objective of this research was to evaluate and compare the quality of several different brands of white rice products packaged for long-term storage, available at the retail level. Ten brands of rice products (7 long-grain white rice, 2 parboiled white rice, 1 instant white rice) packaged in No. 10 cans were obtained from 8 different retail distributors in 4 states. A 50 member consumer panel evaluated aroma, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale. Other observations included can headspace oxygen, can seam evaluation, color, and water activity. There were significant differences between brands in overall acceptability; however, all brands received overall acceptability scores above 6 (like slightly). Headspace oxygen was < 2% in all except in one can that was missing the oxygen absorber and in one brand that had oxygen absorbers that appeared to be expended. Significant variation in can seam quality was observed, with one fourth of the cans failing to meet specifications for a hermetic seal. Hunter L values ranged from 61 to 78. Water activity ranged from 0.27 to 0.61. Variation in the quality of packaging of white rice products available at the retail level suggests manufactures need to ensure proper packaging to retain product quality during long-term storage. Buyers should be aware of potential differences between brands regarding the adequacy of packaging.

Original Publication Citation

Halling MB, Van Noy ND, Ogden LV, and Pike OA. July 23. Quality of white rice retail packaged in No. 1 cans for long-term storage. Poster presentation. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting.