Hi, Everyone,
I have been consuming brown rice for years, but today, while discussing the differences between brown rice and white rice with my girlfriend, she asked me why white rice would cost less if it requires so much more energy to process it (by process, I mean milling it, polishing it, etc.). Is brown rice only more expensive in my area and the United States and not in other countries of the world?

Thank you in advance,
Victor Ly

To be honest here in the uk it depends where you buy it health food shops up the price as they have more over heads to meet personally where as buy it in a big store and there really isn't that much in it anymore but a lot of the store bought stuff still has a slight bleached effect so it it's that reason that you buy brown rice then check those packets before you purchase.
I can't really tell you why its more exspensive where you are or why it is in the first place you would think as there is less work gone into picking etc that it would be cheeper.

Hi, Everyone,
I have been consuming brown rice for years, but today, while discussing the differences between brown rice and white rice with my girlfriend, she asked me why white rice would cost less if it requires so much more energy to process it (by process, I mean milling it, polishing it, etc.). Is brown rice only more expensive in my area and the United States and not in other countries of the world?

Thank you in advance,
Victor Ly

Hi VictorLy,

Maybe this is the reason...

http://www.goldenrice.org/Content3-Why/why4_facts.html

"Unpolished rice becomes rancid during storage
Dehusked, unpolished rice grains are covered by the nutrient-rich bran and aleurone layers. Because these layers are rich in lipids they oxidises rapidly when exposed to air, hence the grains turn rancid and untasty during storage. Polishing, on the other hand, produces rice grains devoid of the nutrients contained in the outer layers but not susceptible to changes in colour, odour and taste."

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And another I found
http://andysmarket.com/healthfacts/brownrice.html

Brown rice is unmilled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole grain. It has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier than white rice, and becomes rancid more quickly. Any rice, including sticky rice, long-grain rice, or short-grain rice, may be eaten as brown rice.

In much of Asia, brown rice (Chinese: Hanyu Pinyin: caomi; Japanese: genmai) is associated with poverty and wartime shortages, and in the past was rarely eaten except by the sick, the elderly and as a cure for constipation. This traditionally looked-down-upon kind of rice is now more expensive than common white rice, partly due to its low consumption, difficulty of storage and transport, and higher nutritional value.

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Hope this helps:)

I don't know where your at, but here in the mid west there's no real difference in price, I buy it all the time, the brown rice variety cause it is such a good value.

What is the method to cook brown rice the same as white rice? actually I have never cooked brown rice, only white.

Sorry, got cut off. You would cook it the same way as white rice, just keep tasting it until the texture is soft and chewy. ;)

I live in Houston, Tx and have grown to love brown rice, actually preferable over the white now. I'm 27 yrs old and am interested in healthy alternatives to food, cause I love it so much! Now that I have become a Dietetic major college student, I am well aware of the concern for the higher cost of more "healthier" foods, it is very frustrating, I do agree. I am really interested in the above comment about the origin of brown rice and it's status, I may just do a small study on that, thanks! But at the end of the day, I'd rather pay an extra couple of cents for a bag of brown rice now, than major health cost later due to the effects of consistently subjecting my body to the white rice health risks and concerns over time.

Brown rice is un-milled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole, natural grain. It has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier and more nutritious than white rice, but goes rancid more quickly because the germ, which is removed to make white rice, contains fats that can spoil.

In order to avoid spoilage, I believe they store the brown rice in sealed bins that are oxygen free (100% nitrogen verses air which is 80% nitrogen and 20 percent oxygen). This additional cost of storage and shorter shelf life makes it more expensive than white rice.

All I know is that in the UK, both brown and white rice are in just ordinary packaging, but white rice is still cheaper.

Also is it just me or would a short shelf life logically decrease the price of a product (brown rice) to ensure each batch is sold asap before it turns rancid?

Maybe the only reason is because the rich want the average John Smiths to pay more for whats good for them, even when the healthiest food option is cheapest to market and prepare. I mean its not really answering your question tbh, but hey..

Economies of scale. White rice is cheaper because that is the status quo and the conventional treatment. Most manufacturers are equipped to mill and polish rice ONLY and in enormous volumes so they an charge less.

That, plus what everyone else has said about shelf life. White rice does not go rancid. Brown rice does, so the loss is calculated into the price

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