A novel application of pulsed electric field as a key process for quick-cooking rice production

The pulsed electric field technique (PEF) was used as the principal technique for the process development of quick-cooking rice products. The response surface methodology (RSM) and a three-level three-factor BoxBehnken design were selected to evaluate the effect of the number of pulses, electric field strength and frequency on cooking time and full grain portion. The result revealed that the pulse number mainly influenced those dependent response values. The optimal condition, including 2565-5079 pulses, field strengths ranging from 7 to 8 kV/cm, and frequencies varying from 4.4 to 8.9 Hz, significantly reduced the cooking time of rice by 40-50% (p < 0.05). PEF treatment significantly improved the textural properties of rice, particularly the reduction of the hardness (p < 0.05). The contents of vitamin B1 and B3 of PEF-treated and freeze-thawed quick-cooking rice products were comparable. Moreover, the in vitro digestibility of protein and starch of PEF-treated rice were significantly enhanced (p < 0.05).Industrial relevance: Several techniques have been currently applied to develop a quick-cooking rice product. However, this study first reported the feasibility of using PEF as a novel process to produce an instant rice product requiring less cooking time. The PEF-based developed process can be a candidate technology creating a successful commercialization of the improved-texture quick-cooking rice product.