New technology to produce rice flour food items

by Gamini Warushamana

The Institute of Post-harvest Technology (IPT) has introduced new technology to substitute wheat flour with rice flour in the production of several food items. With the new technology quality biscuits, cake and noodles can be produced by using 100% rice flour.

The production of bread, however, has not been successful as 50% wheat flour has to be used. Research carried out by the IPT has also recognised a combination of machines to produce high quality rice flour at a competitive price, IPT Director Dr.K.B. Palipana told the Sunday Observer.

This combination of machinery will eliminate obstacles faced by small and medium scale entrepreneurs who produce rice flour and reduce the cost of production of rice flour.

The medium scale machine combination includes destoner which cleans rice, Disk mill (Pin mill) and plate mill.

The Cost of an Indian pin mill is around Rs.50,000 and a destoner costs Rs.8,500, Dr.Palipana said. If the first two machines are used the rice has to be ground twice in the pin mill but when making food items such as string hoppers hot water has to be used.

If the pin mill and plate mill are used in grinding it is possible to use water at normal temperature in making food items, Dr.Palipana said.

The PTI which comes under the Ministry of Agriculture carried out research to find a solution to utilise the excess paddy harvest by popularising rice, rice flour and rice products among consumers. Rice flour has been used for many years in the country but it was not popular among people due to quality, cost and inconvenience in cooking. Rice flour is popular in making traditional foods but not in fast food production.

Dr. Palipana said by people shifting to rice flour and rice products the country's economy would benefit in several ways.

Firstly it would save a large amount of foreign exchange we spend to import wheat flour. Secondly it will ensure a market for our paddy farmers who are in a crisis today. Thirdly, rice is nutritionally superior to wheat and it will increase the nutritional intake of our people. Rice is superior in nutrition with vitamin B, minerals, fibre and complex carbohydrate. Shifting to rice and rice products would reduce diet related diseases such as diabetes, he said.

According to the IPT the market price of quality rice flour will be Rs.38/kg whereas subsidised wheat flour is Rs.32/kg in the market. This is a competitive price and the taste of biscuits, noodles and cakes is superior, Dr.Palipana said. IPT is conducting workshops to introduce the technology to entrepreneurs and bakery owners.

Changing food habits of the people is not difficult but it needs a heavy advertising campaign. It is the responsibility of the government to market the products which will ultimately address the major issues in the country.