Rice processing will be critical by 2030 says Bühler

Speaking on Sustainability in Rice Processing, at the European Rice Convention in Valencia, Spain, last week, Nick Wilkins, head of rice processing, Bühler, saidthe world population will grow to 9bn by 2050 and the majority of this will come predominantly from Asia and the demand for rice will increase.

“By 2030, another 100m tonnes of rice a year will be required, which is a 25% increase on where we are now. Land availability will not grow at the same rate but will contract and cannot accommodate the growth that’s needed​,” he said.

Advanced whitening​

The first two UltraLine machines are the UltraPoly for rice polishing, which lets millers polish rice at almost twice the capacity of previous machines; and the UltraWhite for advanced whitening that has a capacity of nine to 12 tonnes per hour with reduced space requirements and lower energy use.

Talking about energy usage, Wilkins told FoodProductionDaily UltraWhite has an ‘optimised’ milling chamber design and a 'special arrangement of stones for a uniform distribution of air' through rice kernels inside the milling chamber.

“This means less stress on the rice during rice to stone friction and the power per ton of rice processed is at least 20% less when compared to the competition​,” he said.  

Cleaner kernels​

“The UltraPoly has a geometry of sieves with reverse bends which enables better polishing performance at high capacity and low energy cost per ton​.

“​Crack development in rice grain can happen because of the high temperature inside the milling chamber. To reduce the temperature, fresh air entry inside the device is needed. The shaft-less milling chamber of the UltraWhite allows air to pass freely around the rice kernels. This results in cooler and cleaner kernels which minimises the broken rice​.”

Centers of Competence​

The equipment is the first of several machines as part of Bühler’s UltraLine range including the derminator, UltraGerm.

Wilkins said as a company, Bühler spends 4 to 5% of its turnover on research and applied development and has Centers of Competence with an R&D team to improve its equipment process machinery.

“We offer complete rice mill design and installation and can provide individual machines to tailored programs with service and sales support​,” he added.

Click here to listen to Wilkin’s podcast.