ABSTRACT

This study was conducted with the objectives of producing and evaluating the quality of instant rice using three (3) local rice varieties Akujie, Igbo, and Mass) with three processing methods (boiling, fissuring, and pressing). The boiled samples were prepared by boiling at 100 - 105 'C for 12 mm, freezing it for 24 h before drying at 50 'C. The pressed samples were prepared by pressing the rice between rolls after boiling (100 - 105 °C for 12 mm) and pre - drying, before the final drying operation at 50 'C. The fissuring method involved heating the rice using dry heat, before washing, boiling (100 - 105°C for 12 mm) and drying. Analysis of the proximate, functional and sensory properties of the instant rice samples were carried out. The results obtained were statistically analysed using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) (p<0.05). The proximate composition results revealed that fissured Akujie rice (RFA) contained 9.30 % crude protein, 0.25 % fat, 0.65 % crude fibre, 1.50 % ash, 9.40 % moisture content, 78.90 % carbohydrate and 32.10 % starch, while boiled Akujie rice (RBA) contained 8.95 % crude protein, 0.35 % fat, 0.73 % crude fibre, 1.50 % ash, 7.60 % moisture content, 84.55 % carbohydrate, and 31.60 % total starch. The crude protein, fat, crude fibre, ash, moisture content, carbohydrate and starch contents were 7.80 %, 0.60 %, 0.68 %, 0.50 %, 8.80 %, 81.63 % and 32.20 %, respectively for pressed Igbo rice (RPM). The functional properties result showed that RBI (boiled Igbo rice) had 0.79 % bulk density, 1 .60 % for oil absorption capacity, 2.20 % for rehydration ratio, and 2.83 % for volume expansion. RBM had 0.79 % for bulk density, 1 .80 % for oil absorption capacity, 2.18 % for rehydration ratio and 2.33 % for volume expansion. RFI (fissured Igbo rice) had 0.59 % in bulk density, 2.00 % for oil absorption capacity, 1.95 % rehydration ratio and 2.43 % for volume expansion. The sensory evaluation revealed that the boiled samples had the most acceptable instant rice at the "like moderately" level. The Akujie rice variety was the most preferred in terms of different sensory attributes like appearance, taste, flavour, and overall acceptability. This makes it the best rice specie when compared with the other two varieties (Mass and Igho).