A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Engineering in Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Khao Dok Mali 105 ( KDML105 ) rice ( Jasmine or Thai Hom Mali R ice ) , the most popular variety of Thai aromatic rice, account for 2 2 - 24 % of Thailand {u2019} s total rice export . Exported rice is subjected to numerous quality inspections moisture, composition, color, milling degree etc . Therefore, a rapid and effective method t o evaluate multiple quality attributes of rice for quality control and inspection is highly desirable . Milling quality of rice is c haracterized by various physicochemical parameters such as degree of milling ( DOM ) , head rice yield ( HRY ) , surface lipid co ntent ( SLC ) and color ( L * , a * , b * and whiteness ). DOM is the extent to which the bran layers of rice is removed from brown rice during milling . HRY is milled rice comprising kernels that are three - fourths kernel or more in length . So far, these quality att ributes have been evaluated mainly based on traditional methods which are destructive, time - consuming and tedious . Recently, near infrared spectroscopy ( NIRS ) have been widely used for analysis of food quality . NIRS is a rapid, nondestructive testing metho d which requires minimal sample preparation . The principle of NIRS is based on absorptions of light by food molecules in the wavelength region from 800 - 2500 nm, corresponding to the fundamental vibrational transition . The absorption of light at different f requencies is unique for characteristic functional groups of food constituents . NIRS has been used to determine milling, eating and cooking quality in combination with other physicochemical measurements . However, a comprehensive method based on NIRS for es timating milling quality of rice has not been implemented for industrial applications.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2017