Project Number: 6435-41000-092-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Nov 09, 2005
End Date: Nov 30, 2009

Objective:
Through basic and applied research, new technologies for converting rice bran, hulls, endosperm components, in situ and isolated, into high value, high demand products that incorporate their unique nutritional and functional properties will be developed targeting the following objectives: 1) develop technologies for health-beneficial products from rice bran and hulls; and 2) develop technologies for rice-sweet potato products.

Approach:
Physical and chemical methodologies will be employed for converting rice bran, rice hulls and their components into value-added products. Anticipated new processes and value-added products are: 1) efficient, environmentally-friendly processes for extraction of protein from full-fat and defatted rice bran for infant formulations, nutritional supplements, and food ingredients; 2) rice wax, bran, and hull fractions with desirable functional and health-beneficial properties (e.g., cholesterol-lowering, anti-oxidative); and 3) gluten-free rice and rice -sweet potato products with enhanced nutritional (e.g., vitamin- and antioxidant-rich, cholesterol-lowering) and unique functional (e.g., low oil-uptake) properties.