Facilities
Research facilities include a pilot processing plant and a rice quality assessment laboratory. They are located in the Rice Processing Laboratories and the Department of Food Science. Primary equipment includes:
- Both lab- and pilot-scale drying/conditioning equipment
- Commercial and laboratory milling systems
- Single kernel moisture meters
- Cleaning/grading equipment
- Complete laboratory analysis systems
- Three temperature and RH control units
- Two specialized ovens for controlling temp and RH
- A video microscopy system
- Two walk-in, temperature-controlled storage units
- A large walk-in cooler for storage studies.
- A differential scanning calorimeter
- A thermal mechanical analyzer
- A dynamic mechanical analyzer
- A thermal gravimetric analyzer
- A dynamic rheometer
- Two near-infrared spectrophotometers
- A rapid viscoanalyzer
- Two Brabender amylographs
- Two image analysis systems
- A water activity meter
- A fat extraction system
- Two high-performance liquid chromatography systems.
Sensory analysis facilities include a state-of-the-art sensory evaluation room, a food preparation kitchen, and a sensory panel preparation/training room. Additionally, a professionally-trained sensory panel is permanently available to the Program. Equipment includes:
- Gas chromatograph/mass spectroscopy unit
- An electronic nose
- Instruments for texture evaluation.