The paper with this distinction focuses on the micronutrients of rice, providing significant information for public health and food production.
More than half the world depends on rice as staple food so gaining more of an insight into its nutritional makeup could be vital to regions vulnerable to “hidden hunger”, a form of malnutrition caused by micronutrient deficiencies.
The work, conducted by a team from the University of Sheffield, revealed details about the nutritional makeup of rice, confirming that brown rice offers far greater health benefits than white or parboiled rice. The team, led by Dr Manoj Menon, worked on the I18 beamline, using micro-X-ray fluorescence imaging (XRF) to map how vital micronutrients are distributed within cooked rice grains. Their findings show that elements such as iron, zinc, manganese and copper are not only more abundant in brown rice but also cluster in distinct “hotspots” around the grain’s outer layers, reinforcing the importance of eating less-processed rice where possible.
The work is particularly significant because it goes beyond simple nutrient counts. By combining high-resolution imaging with chemical analysis, the researchers were able to demonstrate that these essential elements concentrate in the bran and aleurone regions of the grain rather than in the starchy core. Even after cooking, the nutrients remain unevenly spread, with dense pockets located close to the edges.
This suggests that polishing or milling rice, which removes these layers, strips away much of its nutritional value, leaving white and parboiled rice comparatively poor in micronutrients. The study also highlights methodological advances, showing how different imaging thicknesses affect both the detection sensitivity and spatial clarity of micronutrient signals.
Dr Menon has worked with the I18 team for a few years now, using our beamline's powerful microprobe to localise essential trace elements that appear in rice in challenging low amounts. This publication is the result of our most recent effort to contribute to the growing body of understanding of how micronutrients can be harnessed to improve nutrition worldwide.
Dr Tina Geraki, I18 beamline scientist
While some elements, such as copper, were relatively evenly distributed, others including iron, zinc and manganese showed striking differences between rice types, with brown rice consistently emerging as the richest source. These results underline the importance of promoting brown rice consumption and refining processing techniques to retain or reintroduce lost nutrients.
A comparison of micronutrient elements in cooked white, brown and parboiled rice using synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence imaging, Manoj Menon, Alan Smalley, Kalotina Geraki, Masoud Babaei, Viren Ranawana, Food Chemistry, Volume 495, Part 2 (2025) 146421, ISSN 0308-8146.
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