Not just for hog feed

Rice bran is no longer just good for hog feed. It is also an excellent source of healthy and nutritious cooking oil, according to food chemists of PhilRice (Philippine Rice Research Institute).

Results of experiments which started only in 2005 showed that rice bran from a glutinous variety IMS2 and the still popular inbred variety IR64 are loaded with vitamins E and D, crude protein, and calories from fat.

Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian, PhilRice executive director, said rice bran oil has been acknowledged worldwide as the “healthiest” plant-based edible oil because it contains significant amount of vitamins, anti-oxidants, and nutrients. At the same time, it is trans-fat free.

Rice bran oil has been claimed to reduce bad cholesterol or LDL and to increase good cholesterol or HDL in the body.

At present, health-conscious countries like the United States, Japan and Australia have been reportedly importing rice bran oil as substitute for animal-based oil as well as other vegetable oil, according to a PhilRice report. Rice bran cooking oil was first tried in India.

Instead of the usual solvent method of extracting oil, PhilRice food chemists used phosphate buffers and certain enzymes to produce robust and edible rice oil from local rice varieties.

The process starts by soaking the rice bran in hexane as solvent for about 14 hours. The crude oil is then separated from the solvent by rotary vacuum evaporator and the resultant oil is purified through a series of processes until it is filtered and deodorized.

The PhilRice rice chemists initially thought that rice bran from glutinous rice had higher oil recovery of 17.6 percent as well as more crude fat than varieties with intermediate and high amylose contents. They concluded that extraction of rice bran oil from glutinous rice is more economical for the high oil recovery rate noted aside from being nutritious.

Sebastian said that aside from raising the prospects of productivity and profitability in the Philippines, rice bran cooking oil would make way again for more uses once the technology is fully developed. – Sosimo Ma. Pablico