Pasting properties of stored rice with ascorbic acid before or after storage

Abstract

Ascorbic acid was applied to the rice before or after storage, and the effects on pasting properties were investigated. Ascorbic acid pretreatment accelerated rice aging during storage, which may be attributed to ascorbic acid as a pro-oxidant agent. Meanwhile, ascorbic acid post-treatment improved the pasting properties of pretreated-aged rice due to the increased volume fraction of larger particles near 250 μm in gelatinized aged rice, and this characteristic was confirmed by microscopy observation. Therefore, ascorbic acid is useful to regulate the pasting properties of stored rice over a range of storage periods for various uses.