Effect of γ irradiation pre-treatment on drying characteristics and qualities of rice

Rice, pre-treated by γ irradiation, was air-dried at different temperatures and the influence of dose, air temperature, and initial moisture content of rice on the dehydration rate, surface temperature, milling, eating and cooking qualities of the rice was studied. The dehydration rate and the surface temperature of rice increased with the increasing dose. At the same dehydration rate, the surface temperature increased with increasing dose. However, at the same moisture content, the surface temperature decreased with increasing dose. The dose did not affect the milling qualities, but it affected the eating and cooking qualities of rice, such as apparent amylose content (AAC), gel consistency (GC), and gelatinization temperature (GT).