Rice Enrichment with Vitamins and Amino Acids

Abstract

Rice is the staple food for more than half the world’s population. However, it is deficient in some nutrients. Diseases such as beriberi are common in areas where large amounts of rice are consumed. This is due in part to the practice of polishing the grain to remove the bran layer and germ, which contain the B-complex vitamins. Table 3-1 shows how the nutritional value of rice is altered by milling. The levels of thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, and iron decrease markedly during the polishing process.