ABSTRACT
Rice is the third largest crop globally and provides about 20% of the energy supply to the world’s population (IRRI, 2015). It is an essential part of the diet for many countries around the world, especially in Asia and Africa. This chapter reviews the following topics relating to the nutritional quality of rice:
• Rice varieties and variations in nutritional content • Bio-fortification • Antioxidants in rice • The impact of breeding, cultivation and processing on nutritional quality
The principal components of rice grain are:
• Husk (or hull): the outer covering • Bran: a hard outer layer of rice grain, which can be separated after milling • Endosperm: a reserve tissue inside the seeds of rice grain • Germ (embryo): reproductive part of rice grain that germinates to grow into a plant
These are shown in Fig. 1, which summarizes their nutritional function and value.
