Food Corporation of India

Operations -- Quality Control -- Grade "A" & Common Rice

UNIFORM SPECIFICATION FOR GRADE 'A' & COMMON RICE
( MARKETING SEASON 2004-2005 )

Rice shall be in sound merchantable condition, sweet, dry, clean, wholesome, of good food value, uniform in colour and size of grains and free from moulds, weevils, obnoxious smell, admixture of unwholesome poisonous substances, Argemone mexicana and Lathyrus sativus (Kesari) in any form, or colouring agents and all impurities except to the extent in the schedule below. It shall also conform to PFA Standards:

Schedule of Specification

S.no.	Refractions.	Maximum Limits (%)
		Grade 'A'	Common
1.	Brokens * a) Raw b) Parboiled	25.0 16.0	25.0 16.0
2.	Foreign Matter ** Raw/Parbolied.	0.5	0.5
3.	Damaged/ Slightly damaged a) Raw b) Parboiled	2.0 4.0	2.0 4.0
4.	Discoloured Grains a) Raw b) Parboiled	3.0 5.0	3.0 5.0
5.	Chalky Grains Raw	5.0	5.0
	Red Grains Raw/ Parboiled	3.0	3.0
	Admixture of lower class Raw/ Parboiled	8.0	-
	Dehusked Grains Raw/ Parboiled	12.0	12.0
	Moisture content *** Raw/ Parboiled	14.0	14.0

*	Including 1% shall brokens.
**	Not more than 0.25% by weight shall be mineral matter and not more the 0.10% by weight shall be impurities of animal origin.
***	Rice (both raw and Parboiled) can be procured with moisture content upto a maximum limit of 15% with value cut. There will be no value cut upto 14%. Between 14% to 15% moisture, value cut will be applicable at the rate of full value.

NOTES APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFICATION OF GRADE 'A' AND COMMON VARIETIES OF RICE ::

The definition of the above refractions and method of analysis are to be followed as given in Bureau of Indian Standard "Method of analysis of Foodgrains" No's IS : 4333 (Part-I) 1967 and IS : 4333 (Part-II) 1967 "Terminology for Foodgrains" IS: 2813-1995 as amended from time to time. Dehusked grains are rice kernels whole or broken which have more than 1/4th of the surface area of the kernel covered with the bran and determined as follows:-

ANALYSIS PROCEDURE:- Take 5 grams of rice (sound head rice and brokens) in a petri dish (80 x 70 mm). Dip the grains to in about 20 ml. of Methylene Blue solution (0.05% by weight in distilled water). Give a swirl wash with water and pour about 20 ml. of Metanil Yellow solution (0.05% by weight in distilled water) on the blue stained grains and allow standing for about one minute. Decant the effluent and wash with fresh water twice. Keep the stained grains under fresh water and count the dehusked grains. Count the total number of grains in 5 grams of sample under analysis. Three brokens are counted as one whole grain.

CALCULATIONS:

Percentage of Dehusked grains =

N x 100

Where N = Number of dehusked grains in 5 grams of sample.
W = Total grains in 5 grams of sample.

The Method of sampling is to be followed as given in Bureau of Indian Standard Method of sampling of Cereals and Pulses No IS: 14818-2000..

Brokens less than 1/8th of the size of full kernels will be treated as organic foreign matter. For determination of the size of the broken average length of the principal class of rice should be taken into account.

Inorganic foreign matter shall not exceed 0.25% in any lot, if it is more, the stocks should be cleaned and brought within the limit. Kernels or pieces of kernels having mud sticking on surface of rice shall be treated as Inorganic foreign matter.

In case of rice prepared by pressure parboiling technique, it will be ensured that correct process of parboiling is adopted i.e. pressure applied, the time for which pressure is applied, proper gelatinization, aeration and drying before milling are adequate so that the colour and cooking time of parboiled rice are good and free from encrustation of the grains.