Broken rice is sold in fractions that differ mainly in piece size and in the machine that separated them. Grader rice is the larger broken fraction taken out at final grading, khud (rice cuts) is the smaller broken pieces, and rejection rice is what the colour sorter removes. To buy any of them well, specify the size you need, the defect limits and moisture, and confirm on a sample that the fraction suits your intended use before the first order.
Key takeaways
- Fractions are defined by size and by the machine that separated them, not by variety.
- Standards measure brokens against a whole grain: under three-quarters of its length is broken, under a quarter is a fragment.
- Specify size, moisture, foreign matter and damaged or discoloured grains, and say what the rice is for.
- Rejection rice is the colour sorter’s reject stream. Its suitability for any use has to be established, not assumed.
In this guide
Where each fraction comes from
Every milling line breaks some grains. Graders then separate whole grains from broken pieces by size, and colour sorters remove discoloured grains and foreign particles. Each separated stream is sold as a product in its own right. Our guide to Sortex, grading and polishing shows where each one comes off the line; this guide is about buying them.
| Fraction | Separated at | How SONIK describes it |
|---|---|---|
| Grader rice | Final grading | The grader fraction, sized between whole grain and khud |
| Khud / rice cuts | Grading and sorting | The smaller broken pieces, supplied as a consistent broken-rice fraction |
| Rejection rice | Colour sorting | The rejection fraction, offered where a lower grade is acceptable |
SONIK’s product pages list food processing, brewing, starch and feed compounding among the uses for grader rice and khud. For rejection rice, the starting point is different: it is what the sorter took out, so its suitability for any purpose, and especially for food, has to be established by the buyer against the requirements of that use.
How brokens are graded by size
Two references help when you read or write a broken rice specification. The Codex Standard for Rice measures each piece against the average length of a whole grain:
| Class | Length compared with a whole grain |
|---|---|
| Head rice | Three-quarters or more |
| Large broken | Less than three-quarters, more than one-half |
| Medium broken | One-half or less, more than one-quarter |
| Small broken | One-quarter or less, but held on a 1.4 mm round-hole sieve |
| Chips | Pass through a 1.4 mm round-hole sieve |
India’s AGMARK grade designations for common broken rice take a similar approach. They define brokens as pieces less than three-quarters of a whole kernel and fragments as pieces less than one-quarter. They then set three grades by the share of brokens and by limits on foreign matter and on damaged, discoloured and chalky grains, and cap moisture at 14% for raw and 15% for parboiled broken rice.
| Grade | Foreign matter, max | Brokens | Damaged, discoloured and chalky, max |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 3.0% | Not less than 80% | 5.0%, of which damaged not more than 3% |
| II | 4.0% | Not less than 60% | 10.0%, of which damaged not more than 5% |
| III | 4.0% | Less than 60% | 15.0%, of which damaged not more than 5% |
Read with the definitions, the higher grades contain more of the larger broken pieces and less of the fine fragments.
What to specify
- Fraction and source process: grader, khud or rejection, from parboiled or raw milling.
- Size: the pieces you want, ideally as a sieve result or against an approved sample.
- Moisture: the maximum percentage, measured at dispatch.
- Foreign matter: the maximum percentage, with stones and sand stated separately if they matter to your process.
- Damaged, discoloured and chalky grains: a maximum, if your use is sensitive to them.
- Intended use: food processing, brewing, starch or feed. The same lot can suit one and not another.
- Packing and quantity: 26 kg or 50 kg bags, and the quantity in MT.
Intended use matters because a feed compounder and a food processor can buy the same fraction with very different tolerances for colour or foreign matter, and a food use brings food-safety requirements that the buyer must apply. Tell the supplier what the rice is for, and confirm suitability on a sample before the first lot.
Common misunderstandings
- “Broken rice is all the same.” Piece size and its spread can change how the rice cooks, grinds or ferments.
- “A lower grade is a cheaper way to the same result.” More foreign matter or discoloured grains can cost more to clean out than the discount saves.
- “The fraction name is the specification.” Grader and khud describe where a stream came from. Sizes vary between mills, so agree the size on a sample.
- “Rejection rice is just cheaper broken rice.” It is what the colour sorter took out. Treat it as its own product, with its own checks and its own intended use.
Sampling a broken rice lot
Small pieces and dust settle to the bottom of bags and heaps, so a scoop from the top under-reports fines. Draw from several bags and from different depths, mix, and divide the sample. Weigh what each of your sieves retains, record moisture with the date, and keep a sealed counter-sample. Our sample inspection routine covers the visual checks, and the milling recovery guide explains how these streams fit into the overall yield from paddy.
SONIK supplies grader rice, khud / rice cuts and rejection rice in bulk. Send the fraction, size requirement, intended use, quantity in MT, packing and destination through the bulk enquiry form; the specification is confirmed against your requirement in writing.
Sources
- Codex Alimentarius. Standard for Rice (CXS 198-1995), section 4.1 on kernel and broken sizes.
- AGMARK. Grade designations and definition of quality of common broken rice (Schedule XIV), published by the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority.
