Whiteness index of calcium fortified
rice prepared using soaking method was found reduced while
spraying method showed increased WI with increasing level of
calcium content in soaking solution (p < 0.05). A reverse trend was
observed in the colour difference of calcium fortified rice prepared
using these two methods, based on non-fortified rice. This may be
due to deposition of some of the calcium particles on surface of
calcium fortified rice premix in case of spraying method that ultimately
resulted in the whiter surface as observed with higher L
values. Kyritsi et al. (2011) also observed the significant higher
colour difference, based on non-fortified rice, for white and parboiled
rice after vitamin fortification. Also, soaking method in this
study resulted to higher colour difference values relatively to
spraying method for vitamin fortified rice (Kyritsi et al., 2011).
Hardness and toughness of calcium fortified rice was found
affected with level of calcium in soaking or spraying solution and
soaking or tempering time (Table 2). A clear increasing trend for
hardness of calcium fortified rice premix was observed with
increasing tempering time at different level of calcium content in
the solution (p < 0.05). Toughness was also found increased
accordingly. In general, spraying method resulted to harder calcium
fortified rice premix than soaking method.