Artikel Berkaitan Beras
1. Pigmented rice in food systems: Technological and functional perspectives
This study is a collaborative initiative involving researchers from leading academic institutions and industry partners, including Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Brawijaya University (Indonesia), Higher College of Technology (Abu Dhabi), and Sazarice Sdn Bhd.
Abstract
This review synthesizes recent advances (2020–2025) on the technological, nutritional, and sensory dimensions of incorporating pigmented rice (Oryza sativa L.) into composite flours and alternative food systems. Emphasis is placed on the integration of black, red, and purple rice varieties with non-wheat crops such as cassava, plantain, and legumes, as well as agro-industrial by-products, to promote functional, gluten-free, and sustainable food innovation. Evidence from compositional and processing studies demonstrates that pigmented rice flour (PRF) enhances total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and fiber enrichment while modifying dough rheology, hydration, and color intensity. Key challenges include anthocyanin instability, matrix disruption, and inconsistent sensory quality, while enzymatic treatments, hydrocolloids, and lactic fermentation offer promising approaches to improve structure and preserve bioactive compounds. Industrial-scale trials underscore the need for standardized pigment control, optimized processing parameters, and stabilization technologies to mitigate pigment degradation. Integrating PRF into sustainable food systems aligns with circular bioeconomy principles by valorizing bran and by-products as natural colorants or antioxidant ingredients. This review identifies pigmented rice as a multifunctional ingredient capable of advancing clean-label product development, nutritional enhancement, and climate-resilient food production.
Introduction
- Rice (Oryza sativa L.) remains a staple food for more than half of the world’s population, serving as a primary source of dietary energy across many Asian and African nations (Glauber & Mamun, 2025). As shown in Fig. 1, India and China are the leading rice producers globally, contributing approximately 28% and 27% of total milled rice production in 2024/2025, respectively. Other major producers include Bangladesh (7%), Indonesia (6%), and Vietnam (5%), while Thailand, the Philippines, Burma, Pakistan, and Cambodia collectively account for less than 15% of global output (USDA, 2025). Fig. 2 depicts the global distribution of rice production during the 2024/2025 period, emphasizing the dominance of Asian countries such as India and China in total output.
- Despite its global significance, the heavy reliance on polished white rice has raised nutritional and public health concerns. The removal of bran and germ during milling eliminates essential bioactive compounds, dietary fiber, and micronutrients (Kasote et al., 2021, Farooq and Yu, 2025). In contrast, pigmented rice varieties such as black, red, and purple rice have gained growing recognition as nutrient-dense alternatives that provide both functional and therapeutic benefits (Baptista et al., 2024, Zhao et al., 2025, Saloni et al., 2025). Traditionally cultivated as indigenous crops, these pigmented varieties are now attracting renewed global interest for their potential to enhance diet quality, promote food diversity, and support sustainable food systems (Brunet-Loredo et al., 2023, Ahmed et al., 2025).
- Recent studies have described pigmented rice as a “grain of health and longevity,” underscoring its capacity to deliver health-promoting phytochemicals and to help mitigate non-communicable diseases (Sharma et al., 2024). Its distinctive coloration and functionality arise from the accumulation of phenolic compounds particularly anthocyanins, flavonoids, and γ-oryzanol within the bran and pericarp layers. These pigments not only impart vibrant hues ranging from dark purple to bright red but also act as potent antioxidants with wide-ranging biological effects (Ronie et al., 2024). Emerging evidence indicates that anthocyanins from colored rice exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-obesity, and anticarcinogenic activities through molecular mechanisms linked to oxidative stress modulation and metabolic regulation (Chen et al., 2024). Moreover, these pigments have demonstrated inhibitory effects on starch hydrolysis, contributing to a reduced glycemic response (Kraithong et al., 2025). Advances in chromatographic and spectrophotometric techniques such as HPLC, UPLC-MS/MS, and pH-differential spectrophotometry have enabled precise profiling of these compounds across rice genotypes, growing regions, and processing conditions (ElShamey et al., 2025). The findings of these research clearly highlight the significance of pigmented rice as a natural source of bioactives that are ideal for integration into formulations of functional meals and nutraceuticals.
- While pigmented rice is increasingly recognized as a standalone functional ingredient, its integration into composite flour systems offers expanded opportunities for nutritional enhancement and product diversification. Composite flour formulations, blends of two or more flours are particularly relevant for developing non-wheat and gluten-free products, meeting the needs of both health-conscious and allergen-sensitive markets (Ronie et al., 2023, Jenfa et al., 2024). The inclusion of pigmented rice flour (PRF) alongside underutilized crops such as plantain, cassava, sweet potato, legumes, or agricultural by-products contributes to improved protein quality, fiber enrichment, and antioxidant value while promoting sustainable crop utilization (Sajeev et al., 2023). Furthermore, such formulations help reduce dependency on imported wheat, thereby strengthening local food security and supporting regional crop value chains. However, incorporating pigmented rice into composite matrices introduces several technological challenges including pigment instability, variations in dough rheology, and potential trade-offs in sensory appeal (Evangelista & Schönlechner, 2025). Understanding these interrelated factors is crucial to optimizing formulation strategies and ensuring consumer acceptance.
- Despite the growing body of literature on the composition and health benefits of pigmented rice, current knowledge remains fragmented regarding its application in composite flour–based food systems. Many studies address isolated aspects such as phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, or specific product formulations, with limited integration of formulation strategies, processing behavior, bioactive retention, and consumer perception into a unified framework. In particular, there is a lack of critical synthesis examining how formulation variables and processing methods interact to influence technological performance, nutritional functionality, and sensory quality across different product categories. Accordingly, this review seeks to address these gaps by examining how composite flour formulations incorporating pigmented rice affect physicochemical, rheological, and functional properties relevant to food processing; identifying key processing-related challenges associated with pigment stability, bioactive retention, and sensory acceptance; and evaluating formulation and processing strategies that show the greatest potential for developing scalable, consumer-acceptable, and nutritionally enhanced pigmented rice–based food products.
- In light of this, this review compiles all the latest findings on the processing, functioning, and formulation of colored rice-based composite flours from 2020 to 2025. Specifically, it examines: (i) formulation strategies combining pigmented rice with non-wheat flours derived from plantain, cassava, legumes, and agro-industrial by-products; (ii) the physicochemical and rheological behavior of such blends; (iii) the nutritional and bioactive retention of key phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, phenolics, and γ-oryzanol; (iv) sensory and consumer perception; and (v) storage stability and shelf-life considerations. By integrating insights from multidisciplinary studies, this review identifies critical success factors, current research gaps, and future perspectives required to transform pigmented rice composite systems into scalable, health-promoting, and climate-resilient food products. In doing so, it situates pigmented rice within the broader framework of sustainable food innovation and the circular bioeconomy, aligning scientific advancement with global nutrition and sustainability goals
2. Physicochemical, sensory and storage stability evaluation of tarap (Artocarpus odoratissimus)-based breakfast cereal produced by drum drying
This article is the result of a collaborative effort between researchers from several academic institutions and industry partner.
Abstract
- Aim: This study aimed to develop a tarap (Artocarpus odoratissimus)-based breakfast cereal using brewer’s rice as the cereal base and to evaluate the effects of tarap incorporation on its physicochemical properties, sensory acceptability, and storage stability after drum drying.
- Methods: Five cereal formulations containing 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% tarap pulp were prepared and processed using a twin-drum dryer. The resulting products were analysed for proximate composition, water absorption capacity, colour characteristics, and total dietary fibre. Sensory evaluation was carried out using a 9-point hedonic scale. The most acceptable formulation was further evaluated through a 28-day storage study under ambient conditions, during which moisture content, water activity (aw), and colour stability (ΔE*ab) were monitored.
- Results: Tarap incorporation significantly affected several quality attributes of the cereal. Moisture content decreased from 9.61% in the control to 0.89% in formulation D, while ash and protein contents were higher in tarap-containing formulations. Total carbohydrate content ranged from 82.11% to 89.77%. Water absorption capacity ranged from 182.22% to 213.33%, with no significant difference among formulations. Increasing tarap levels also produced darker, redder, and more yellowish cereal flakes. Sensory evaluation showed that formulation D (20% tarap) achieved the highest scores for colour, taste, texture, and overall acceptability, with an overall score of 7.32 ± 1.24. During storage, both the control and formulation D maintained low aw values (0.18–0.23), while formulation D showed lower moisture content and better colour stability at the end of storage.
- Conclusions: Tarap can be incorporated into drum-dried breakfast cereal to produce a sensory acceptable product with promising short-term physical stability under ambient conditions. However, microbiological safety, together with longer-term storage stability, must be verified before the product can be considered suitable for future food application or commercialization.
Introduction
- Breakfast cereals are widely consumed as convenient and nutritionally balanced breakfast foods. Numerous studies have reported that cereals, particularly those derived from whole grains, provide important nutritional benefits due to their high content of carbohydrates, protein, iron, and calcium [1]. Regular consumption of breakfast cereals has also been associated with improved dietary quality and increased intake of essential nutrients and recommended food groups [2]. In recent years, the development of fruit-based cereals has attracted increasing attention as the incorporation of fruits can enhance the nutritional value of cereal products by providing additional dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and polyphenols [3, 4]. Despite this growing interest, many commercially available breakfast cereals still contain high levels of refined sugars and artificial additives. This has created increasing demand for healthier cereal products formulated with natural ingredients and functional components.
- Tarap (Artocarpus odoratissimus) is a tropical fruit widely cultivated in Sabah, Sarawak, and parts of the Philippines and Indonesia. The fruit is characterized by its soft, sweet, and aromatic pulp and is known to contain substantial amounts of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential minerals such as potassium, iron, and zinc, as well as various vitamins and bioactive compounds [5]. Previous studies have reported that tarap exhibits several functional properties including antibacterial, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities [6]. Furthermore, different parts of the fruit including the peel, seeds, and pulp contain antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids that contribute to free radical scavenging activity [7]. Despite its promising nutritional and functional properties, the commercial utilization of tarap remains limited. The fruit is highly perishable due to its high moisture content and short postharvest shelf life, which restricts its storage, transportation, and market distribution. According to the Department of Agriculture Malaysia, although Sabah remains the main production region with an annual production of approximately 1,920.39 metric tons, tarap production has declined by more than 67% between 2019 and 2023. This decline highlights the underutilization of the fruit and the need for value-added processing approaches that can extend its shelf life while enhancing its economic value.
- In addition to the underutilization of tarap, agro-industrial by-products such as brewer’s rice also remain largely undervalued. Brewer’s rice is a by-product of rice milling consisting mainly of small broken rice fragments, often accompanied by portions of bran and germ [8]. Although brewer’s rice possesses a nutritional profile comparable to white rice, with additional dietary fiber and micronutrients contributed by bran and germ fractions, it is frequently utilized in low-value applications such as animal feed due to its susceptibility to lipid oxidation and limited shelf stability [9]. The valorization of brewer’s rice into human food products aligns with the principles of sustainable food systems and circular economy, where agricultural by-products are converted into value-added food ingredients with improved nutritional and economic value.
- To effectively incorporate both tarap pulp and brewer’s rice into cereal formulations, an appropriate processing technique is required. Drum drying is widely used in the food industry for producing cereal flakes and instant cereal products due to its ability to process viscous or slurry-based materials such as fruit pulps and cereal pastes [10]. The technique involves spreading the slurry as a thin film on a heated rotating drum, allowing rapid moisture removal and formation of dried flakes. Compared with other drying methods such as spray drying or freeze drying, drum drying is particularly suitable for thick and fibrous materials and can produce shelf-stable products with relatively low processing costs while maintaining acceptable nutritional quality [11, 12]. Therefore, the application of drum drying provides a promising approach for transforming highly perishable fruit pulp into stable cereal products.
- This study was carried out to develop a tarap-based breakfast cereal using brewer’s rice as the main base and drum drying as the processing method. The developed formulations were then assessed in terms of proximate composition, physicochemical properties, sensory acceptability, and storage stability under ambient conditions.