Tamil Nadu agro company develops gluten-free, low GI rice

An  agricultural firm, Udaya Agro Farm, based in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, has come up with a novel, unique and patented rice that is gluten-free and has a low glycemic index. 

The produce — branded as Village rice — has been cultivated using good agricultural practices, however, has no genetically modified organism in it, says the company’s CEO G Paranjothi. 

A special feature claimed by Village rice is that it has high dietary fibre that has health benefits such as lowering cholesterol levels, preventing bowel syndrome and controlling glycemic response. It has a lower Glycemic Index which is less than 49 per cent, which means it release glucose more slowly and ensures healthy blood sugar levels.

Organic breeding

Paranjothi told businessline that Village rice has been tested by the Indian Institute of Food Processing and Technology and has been found to have 14.01 per cent of protein. The company has got the Food Safety and Standards  Authority of India certification too. “The rice has the highest dietary fibre level of over 13.8 per cent per 100 gram compared to other rice varieties,” he said.

Udaya Agro Farm organically breeds a selection of crops to enhance their nutritional value. Thousands of varieties of rice plants were screened before the company picked those with high dietary fibre and protein content with slow start digestion capability. Thus, the rice has a comparatively slow sugar level after a meal, the company’s CEO said. 

“We use the classical hybrid methods such as mutation breeding, hybridisation and selection coupled with intense biochemical screening methods to ensure nutritional values are enhanced amidst a stable yield,” Paranjothi said, adding that modern biotechnology comes into play when his firm selects the best of the characteristics during the hybridisation process.

Biochemical testing

Udaya Farm, which markets its rice through e-commerce portals, ensures genetic purity through the production of nucleus seeds by genotyping every single plant with purity DNA markets that are associated with high dietary fibre expression. 

“The genotyping of breeder seed is planned scientifically but in a random fashion. The grain production is from the foundation seeds and not from any certified seed to ensure better genetic purity,” Paranjothi said.

Every single grain is tested biochemically for dietary fibre and protein contents and the company uses its own harvesters and personnel to harvest the crop. “The processing of rice is done with innovative technology to yield high value-addition in every grain. We have a well and hygenically maintained  processing plant that is free from moisture, insects, pests and physical impurities,” he said. 

The packing itself is an automated vacuum one and is sealed to maintain the grain’s unique properties besides ensuring a high shelf-life. 

Paranjothi claimed the rice helps control diabetes, manage weight issues, ensures healthy heart and has paediatric and pregnancy benefits. 

Udaya Agro Farm has patented the rice since it chooses the germplasm that goes in the cultivation of paddy, he said. “Ours is a rice variety that has a high natural dietary-fibre content even in its polished form,” he said.

Udaya Agro Farm has entered into a collaboration with GreenFlora Biosciences Pvt Ltd, Kumbakonam, for undetaking a research programme for plant breeding and biochemistry tools to isolate crop varieties in rice, maize and jowar for high dietary content.

The company exported two consignments of 4.5 tonnes of the patented rice to Ghana and Yemen via air and sea routes in 2021.

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