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How do they make rice starch?

Published in Starch Manufacturing 2 mins read

The production of rice starch primarily involves a series of mechanical and physical separation steps designed to isolate pure starch granules from other components of the rice kernel.

The Rice Starch Manufacturing Process

Making rice starch is a multi-step process that efficiently separates the desired starch from proteins, fibers, and other soluble materials present in rice kernels. The process focuses on physical separation techniques to achieve high purity.

Key Stages in Rice Starch Production

The extraction of rice starch involves a sequential approach, meticulously detailed as follows:

  • 1. Preparation and Grinding:
    • Initially, soaked rice kernels are used. Soaking helps to soften the kernels, making them easier to process.
    • These softened kernels are then ground into flour. This step mechanically breaks down the rice structure, releasing the starch granules.
  • 2. Cell Wall Removal (Screening):
    • After grinding, the resulting mixture contains starch, protein, and fibrous material (cell walls).
    • The cell walls are removed by screening. This process effectively separates the larger, insoluble fibrous components from the finer starch and protein slurry.
  • 3. Protein Separation (Settling and Decanting):
    • What remains is a starch slurry which still contains a significant amount of protein.
    • The slurry is then allowed to settle. Due to differences in density, the heavier starch granules settle to the bottom, while the lighter protein components remain suspended in the supernatant liquid.
    • The supernatant solution, which contains most of the protein, is carefully removed. This is typically done through decanting, where the liquid is poured off without disturbing the settled starch.
  • 4. Washing and Purification:
    • The settled starch granules are washed with water. This step helps to further remove any remaining soluble impurities, including residual proteins or other undesirable substances.
    • Decanting is employed to remove soluble materials after each wash. This washing and decanting process is usually repeated multiple times to ensure a high level of purity in the final rice starch product.

This meticulous process ensures that the isolated rice starch is clean, free from contaminants, and suitable for various applications.