PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for markedly increasing functional ingredients including &gamma-aminobutyric acid in rice grains compared with common brown rice even if the amount of moisture added to brown rice is limited to a necessary minimal level and moisture is added at a slow rate.SOLUTION: The technique comprises the following means. Using an apparatus similar in structure to a grain dryer, brown rice under circulating conveyance in the apparatus is blown with high-humidity air and the moisture content of the brown rice is raised to 16.5-18.5 wt.% at a moisture addition rate of 0.1-0.3 wt.%/h. Thereafter, the resultant brown rice is left to stand in the state of halting the airblow and circulating conveyance, thus increasing the functional ingredients including &gamma-aminobutyric acid in the final brown rice. Such functional ingredient-rich brown rice is produced, and then polished and processed into functional ingredient-rich partially pounded rice, germ-containing rice and polished rice, which are then processed into non-wash partially pounded rice, non-wash germ-containing rice and non-wash polished rice, respectively.COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT【課題】玄米の加水量を必要最低限に抑え、かつ、緩慢な加水速度にて加水を行っても、通常玄米と比較して米粒中に含まれるγ-アミノ酪酸等の機能性成分を大幅に増加させる技術を提供することを課題とする。【解決手段】穀物乾燥機と同様な構造の装置を用い、装置内を循環搬送されている玄米に高湿度の空気を通風し、0.1~0.3%/hの加水速度で前記玄米の水分を16.5~18.5%の範囲で上昇させ、その後、通風及び循環搬送を停止した状態にて該玄米を静置することで、玄米に含まれるγ-アミノ酪酸等の機能性成分を増加させる、という技術的手段を講じた。また、機能性成分の含有量を増加させた玄米を製造し、該玄米を精米して、機能性成分の含有量を増加させた分搗き米、胚芽米及び白米に加工し、さらに、これらを無洗分搗き米、無洗胚芽米及び無洗米に加工した。【選択図】図1
