In situ analysis of cooking properties of rice by thermal mechanical compression test method

A procedure for in situ analysis of rice cooking was developed in this study. Grain softening during soaking and cooking of selected rice varieties (fresh and aged TDK8, TDK11, and Doongara) were subjected to in situ analysis by using a thermally controlled sample block (thermal mechanical compression test) attached to a texture analyzer. This technique measures the changes in the mechanical properties of intact rice grain during cooking continuously. The results obtained from the thermal mechanical compression test technique were validated against two standard and conventional procedures viz; analyzing the pasting properties of rice flours by rapid visco analyzer and microscopic observations during the cooking of rice grains. The technique developed in this study was found valid for in situ analysis of rice cooking. This technique can be used for a sample size as small as 0.50 g.