Question

Given below are two statements:
Statement (I): Parboiling process is a mandatory operation in rice milling.
Statement (II): Parboiling maximises recovery of head rice by minimizing breakage during milling.

In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.

• A. Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are correct.
• B. Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are incorrect.
• C. Statement (I) is correct but Statement (II) is incorrect.
• D. Statement (I) is incorrect but Statement (II) is correct.

Hint:

The primary industrial objective of parboiling is to reduce milling losses (breakage) from typically 20-30% down to less than 5%, securing high head-rice yield.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Parboiling is a hydrothermal pre-treatment applied to paddy grains prior to milling, involving soaking, steaming, and drying.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
1.

Statement (I): Parboiling is an optional value-addition process.
Large quantities of paddy are processed directly as raw rice without parboiling. Thus, it is not a mandatory milling operation, making Statement (I) incorrect.
2.

Statement (II): During parboiling, steaming causes starch gelatinization within the endosperm.
This gelatinized starch flows and seals internal micro-cracks and fissures present in the kernel.
Upon drying, the grain hardens significantly, which dramatically reduces grain breakage during de-husking and polishing, maximizing head rice recovery. Thus, Statement (II) is correct.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct option is 4, which corresponds to Statement (I) is incorrect but Statement (II) is correct.