A study about factors influencing rice palatability based on changes in sensory and physicochemical properties under different postharvest conditions

Postharvest management plays a key role in determining the end-use quality of rice; therefore, a practical approach to inhibit quality deterioration is necessary. In this study, the effects of postharvest management—drying delay time (DDT) and moisture content after drying (DM) immediately after harvesting, and storage temperatures (ST) and periods (SP) of dried paddy rice—on the physicochemical, quality, and sensory properties of rice were comprehensively analyzed. Germination rate, seed viability, fat acidity, and sensory quality tended to significantly deteriorate with increasing DDT, DM, ST, and SP. The highest correlation (r = 0.8289) was observed between germination rate and sensory quality, indicating that germination rate can reliably predict sensory quality. Degradation of germination rate and overall sensory quality were analyzed: sensory quality exhibited a more gradual change than germination rate. Lastly, the effects of the postharvest conditions on overall sensory quality were predicted using a regression equation model. DDT, DM, and ST exhibited different patterns of change, which can be used to predict the sensory quality during storage. Germination rate was successfully applied as an influencing factor for the development of a rice-palatability prediction model. The results of this study are useful for maintaining fresh-rice palatability by preventing aging during postharvest storage.