Abstract
Four Indian rice cultivars diering in their shape (length±breadth ratio) were evaluated for ash distribution pattern using a
McGill No.2 rice miller. Brown rice obtained from all rice cultivars was milled for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 s and analysed for ash
content, conductivity and percentage of bran removed. All the cultivars diered signi®cantly with respect to percentage loss of ash
content at various milling stages. Cultivars with lower length±breadth ratio showed a higher loss of ash than those having a higher
length±breadth ratio under similar stages of milling. Ash content showed a linear relationship with conductivity of solubles
extracted from brown rice milled for dierent intervals. R2 values, for (the relationship between ash content determined by standard
AACC method and the conductivity, was in the range of 0.90±0.99. The eect of extraction time and temperature on the relation-
ship between ash content and conductivity of solubles was also studied. Statistical analysis showed a signi®cant eect of extraction
duration and extraction temperature on the intercept and slope values obtained from linear regression between ash and conductivity
values for dierent cultivars. # 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.