Rice, Oil & Sugar

FOOD COMMODITIES

Commonly consumed foods are those ingested for their nutrient properties. Food commodities can be either raw agricultural commodities or processed commodities, provided that they are the forms that are sold or distributed for human consumption.

RICE

Rice is a major food staple and a mainstay for the rural population and for household food security. It is mainly cultivated by small farmers in holdings of less than one hectare. Rice also plays an important role as a “wage” commodity for workers in the cash crop or non-agricultural sectors.

Rice is the staple food of more than half of the world’s population, with more than 700 million tons produced annually (equivalent to 470 million tons of milled rice). Although most rice is consumed in the countries where it is produced, a growing demand in some areas is feeding the international rice trade.

     Nutritional content of rice compared to other staple foods

White, long-grain rice: Raw, long-grain white rice is a relatively good source of energy, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, thiamin, pantothenic acid, folate and vitamin E, compared to maize, wheat and potatoes. It contains no vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, or lutein+zeazanthin, and is notably low in fiber. 

Colored rice: Brown rice retains the bran layer (containing many vitamins and minerals as well as fiber), as this has not been polished off to produce white rice. Red rices are known to be rich in iron and zinc, while black and purple rices are especially high in protein, fat and crude fiber. Red, black and purple rice get their color from anthoncyanin pigments, which are known to have free-radical-scavenging and antioxidant capacities, as well as other health benefits.

Calorie content

The calorie content of 1 cup of cooked rice varies from a high of 241.8 kcals for medium-or short-grain white rice, to 218.4 kcals for medium-grain brown rice, 216.5 kcals for long-grain brown rice, 205.4 kcals for regular long-grain white rice, to a low of 165.6 kcals for ‘wild rice’.