PerkinElmer’s new paddy rice analysis technology unites image and pressure testing

A bacterium from a rice plant in China is thought to have good disease-resistance properties.

Termed PaddyCheckTM PC 6800, the product unites imaging and pressure technologies into a single instrument and run. The automated, user-friendly solution delivers accurate results in five to ten minutes around key quality markers such as breakage and head rice yield (HRY), and also eliminates the need for the traditional, labour-intensive step of paddy kernel husking and polishing prior to testing.

As part of PerkinElmer’s extensive, advanced food analysis portfolio – which includes quality and safety solutions for grain, dairy, produce, meat and oils – the PaddyCheck platform is now available in China, with other markets to follow. The solution recently received an AACCI Method – AACCI 61-10.01

How the solution works

The PaddyCheck solution, part of PerkinElmer’s Perten^® product line, includes a comprehensive analysis system that requires no specialised training to operate. It consists of three sensors that are simultaneously served kernels via a rotary sample tray, which adjusts for paddy rice of different varieties such as brown, indica and japonica.

The three sensors include: a polarisation camera that looks through each kernel to determine transparency; a visible camera that measures morphological parameters such as kernel length, width, and colour; and a pressure sensor that applies a 17N force to determine thickness and hardness, uncovering any fissures or potential breakage issues.

Results are then displayed on an intuitive, menu-driven touchscreen and stored for future reference. Additional data and statistical analysis can be conducted with PerkinElmer’s Singulator PlusTM software, exclusively created for the PaddyCheck platform, that allows individual kernel images, kernel force curves and more to be viewed.

Further, the compact and portable design of the PaddyCheck platform enables in-field testing, with a battery pack supporting three hours of run time and eight hours of standby life.

Why the dedicated rice system?

“Rice is a key staple in people’s diets around the world and helping to ensure the quality of this mega-grain is important for the food industry and consumers,” said Greg Sears, vice president and general manager, Food and Organic Mass Spectrometry, PerkinElmer. “With the PaddyCheck platform, research institutes, rice traders and farmers can perform fast, objective and standardized analysis to help satisfy the increasing research and planting demands of the ever-growing global food chain.