The fracturability of whole rice kernels was analyzed using a texture analyzer (TA.XT plus, Stable Micro Systems Ltd., Godalming, UK). For each experiment, a single rice kernel was placed on its lateral side on the base plate of the texture analyzer. A compression test was carried out on the rice kernel, using a cylindrical probe of 6 mm diameter. The probe was set to compress a sample to a depth of 60% height from the contact point; pre-test, test and post-test speeds were 2, 2 and 5 mm/s, respectively. Fracturability was determined as the maximum resistance force of the first peak against a fixed amount of compression, 20 kN. A minimum of thirty rice kernels were evaluated for each treatment.