THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is now looking into extending the shelf life of unpolished rice, Science Secretary Mario Montejo said.

Aside from conducting research and development that will extend the shelf life of unpolished rice, the DOST chief said they are also looking into ways to improve the milling process for the production of unpolished rice.

He said hopefully, with successful research and development, the DOST will be able to come up with ways to improve or extend the shelf life of unpolished rice to allow a longer storage period like “white rice” or the well-milled rice.

The shelf life of unpolished rice is shorter compared with well-milled rice because the bran oil in the outer layer of the grains becomes stale when stored.  In the milling process, the bran oil is removed as the outer layer is shaved.

The production and consumption of unpolished rice, also known as brown rice, is being aggressively promoted by the government, in lieu of well-milled rice, to help address the perennial supply shortage of the grain.

“To address the persistent rice shortage, we propose a shift in the preference of Filipinos from white rice to brown rice,” Montejo told reporters during the Communication and News Exchange Forum at the Philippine Information Agency in Quezon City on Friday.

“If all of us eat brown rice, we can close the gap on rice shortage. In milling the palay to brown rice, you get 15 percent more rice from the same yield. The rice is not really brown, only unpolished,” Montejo explained. “Also, when cooking brown rice, you get 30 percent more out of the rice because it absorbs more water and has more fibers.”

The idea of producing and consuming brown rice also address the chronic malnutrition problem suffered by thousands of women and children in the country.

Unpolished rice has many health benefits, he said. Brown rice is believed to be more nutritious as compared with white rice as there are more nutrients in the brown layer or the rice bran that is normally shaved in the polishing process.

The health benefits of a high-fiber diet alone is a very good reason to pick brown rice over white rice, Montejo said, who said he himself prefers unpolished rice.

However, the shelf life of brown rice is shorter as it lasts for only four to five months. Beyond that period, brown rice will already develop a rancid taste. This is due to the natural oils in the bran layer of the rice grains that become stale when stored for a long time. In processing white rice, this bran layer is taken off in the polishing process.