BROKEN RICE

Broken rice is another by-product of rice milling industry. From the nutritional point of view, broken rice is as good as whole rice itself. Broken rice has low economic value as compared to whole rice. Generally, broken rice is of poor quality due to admixture with grit, stones and clay particles. Therefore, broken rice is used either as a part of animal feed or partially in the diet of poor people. If the quality of broken rice is improved by cleaning the paddy properly before milling,

Cracks are usually caused by moisture migrating too quickly within the rice (drying too fast, or moisture being added back to a dry kernel). Often these cracks cause the kernels(Rice) to break during milling and so broken rice is generated. The percentage of broken kernels (relative to total milled rice) generated during milling usually ranges from 12% to 24%. Most broken are removed during the milling process to less than 4% in order to give the consumer high quality rice. Broken rice tends to get mushy during cooking and makes a poor quality table rice. There are different sizes of broken kernels. With long grain rice in the south broken are often separated into different sizes. From largest to small they are called; second heads, screenings, and brewers.

Today, most of the rice going into beer is now whole kernel. The dog food industry uses the majority of the broken rice. They tend to start with the lower quality brewers rice and then move into the more expensive screenings and second heads as needed. The rice flour industry is growing and tends to use the higher quality sorted second heads and screenings. The beer industry still takes some of the higher quality second heads. it can be utilized and marketed straightway for preparation of Idly, Dosa and other such preparation in which rice flour or wet-ground rice paste is needed.