MICROWAVE-COOKING OF RICE IN STEAM-VENTING PACKAGES AND IMPACTS ON QUALITY ATTRIBUTES

The challenge of producing safe and shelf-stable, cooked rice-based meals that meet consumers' desired quality remains a significant concern for food manufacturers. This study aimed to determine the quality attributes of micro-wave-cooked, ready-to-eat rice in steam-venting packages. Long-grain milled rice was cooked at low (2:1), intermediate (3.5:1), and high (5:1) volumetric water-to-rice ratios (w/r) using microwave ovens with a power usage of 0.02 to 0.1 kW/g. The cooking process was carried out for up to 16 minutes, and samples were collected after every 2-minute interval. The cooked rice samples were then analyzed for gelatinization, texture, and overall color change (& UDelta;E) and compared with con-trol samples cooked on a standard hot plate rated at 0.014 kW/g. The results showed that full gelatinization of rice at the low w/r ratio occurred after 16 minutes of microwave cooking at 0.02 kW/g. At the intermediate w/r ratio, full gelatinization occurred after 16 minutes of microwave cooking at 0.02 kW/g and after 12 minutes at 0.04 kW/g. For the high w/r ratio, full gelatinization occurred after a 14-and 16-minute cooking duration at 0.04 and 0.02 kW/g, respectively. In contrast, the control samples did not fully gelatinize after 16 minutes of cooking on the hot plate. The texture of fully cooked microwave-treated rice was softer and less gummy compared to the control samples. Additionally, the overall color change was highest in the control samples at a & UDelta;E value of 8.56, as compared to that of microwave-cooked samples. The study findings indicate that microwave cooking can be an effective method for cooking rice in steam-venting packages, providing high-quality retention potential that can be beneficial to the ready-to-eat rice production industry.