The impact of different preparation processes on toxic and essential elements in diverse types of rice

Abstract

The thesis was motivated by the growing global concern regarding the presence of toxic elements in rice, a staple food for over half of the world's population. While rice is a crucial source of dietary energy and essential nutrients, its cultivation in flooded paddy fields makes it efficient at absorbing contaminants like arsenic and heavy metals from the soil. Although managing agricultural pollution is a long-term challenge, the simple preparation methods in the household represent the most immediate line of defense for consumers. However, existing literature is fragmented, often focusing on single rice types or isolated toxic element reduction, neglecting the critical trade-off where methods that remove toxic elements can also deplete essential nutrients. This research aimed to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive, comparative analysis of how different pre-cooking techniques affect both toxic and essential elements across diverse rice types.