Narrator:
IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD,
RICE IS THE MAIN GRAIN.
IN FACT, IT IS A FOOD STAPLE
FOR NEARLY HALF
OF THE PLANET'S POPULATION.
NATIVE TO ASIA,
IT HAS BEEN GROWN AND CONSUMED
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
BUT TODAY, MACHINES DO MUCH
OF THE HARVESTING AND
PROCESSING
IN ORDER TO FEED
THE ENORMOUS DEMAND.
THESE PERFECTLY FORMED
KERNELS OF RICE
ARE ESSENTIALLY A CROP
THAT HAS BEEN ALLOWED
TO GO TO SEED.
AFTER ABOUT 150 DAYS OF
GROWTH,
THE RICE SEED
IS READY FOR HARVEST.
MACHINERY STRIPS IT
FROM THE STALKS
AND ALSO SUCTIONS OUT
SOME OF THE EMPTY HUSKS.
TRUCKS TRANSPORT THE RICE
TO STORAGE FACILITIES.
THEY EMPTY IT INTO A GRATED
OPENING AT THE RECEIVING PIT.
THE GRATES FILTER OUT SOME
OF THE LARGER STALKS AND
DEBRIS.
FROM THE PIT,
A CHAIN CONVEYOR MOVES THE
RICE
UP TO STORAGE SILOS
AND INTO WAREHOUSES.
INSIDE THE STORAGE FACILITIES,
FANS BLOW AIR
THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN OF RICE
TO LOWER THE MOISTURE CONTENT
SUBSTANTIALLY.
WITH THE RICE
SUFFICIENTLY DRIED,
IT'S ON TO THE PROCESSING
PLANT.
HERE, A PROBE VACUUMS UP
SAMPLES
FROM BOTH THE FRONT AND THE
BACK
OF THE MASSIVE TRUCKLOAD.
THE PROBE DELIVERS THE SAMPLES
TO A LAB.
A TECHNICIAN FIRST
TESTS THE MOISTURE CONTENT
TO CONFIRM THAT IT'S ON
TARGET.
HE THEN TRANSFERS BATCHES
TO A SIFTING BIN
TO SCREEN FOR BUGS.
HE SWITCHES ON A HEAT LAMP
TO WAKE THEM UP.
HE SHAKES THE RICE
AND SCRUTINIZES.
HE ALSO EXAMINES THE TRAY
UNDERNEATH FOR TINY BUGS
THAT MAY HAVE FALLEN
THROUGH THE HOLES.
IF HE FINDS JUST ONE MOTH
OR BEETLE,
THE ENTIRE 5,500-POUND
TRUCKLOAD
OF RICE WILL BE REJECTED.
NEXT THE RICE FALLS THROUGH
PERFORATIONS
IN ROLLING CYLINDERS,
SCREENING OUT THE STRAW
WHICH SPILLS OVER THE SIDE.
THE NEXT MACHINE SIFTS
OUT THE REMAINING STRAW BITS
AND ANY WEED SEED.
IT ALSO SUCTIONS OUT
EMPTY RICE HUSKS.
THEY'RE LIGHTWEIGHT AND
PULLED OUT WITH A WEAK VACUUM.
FINALLY, THEY REMOVE MUD
BALLS.
FREE OF CONTAMINANTS,
THE RICE NOW SPILLS
BETWEEN TWO RUBBER ROLLERS,
ONE MOVING
FASTER THAN THE OTHER.
THIS SHEARS OFF THE HUSKS.
THE RICE AND EMPTY HUSKS THEN
CASCADE INTO ANOTHER MACHINE.
THIS IS A DEMO VERSION
OF THE ACTUAL PRODUCTION ONE.
WEAK SUCTIONING
PULLS OUT THE HUSKS
TO SEPARATE THEM
FROM THE HEAVIER RICE.
THE DEHUSKING PROCESS
MISSES A FEW KERNELS,
SO NEXT GIANT SIFTING MACHINES
SCREEN OUT THAT RICE.
STILL IN HUSKS,
IT'S BIGGER AND DOESN'T PASS
THROUGH THE HOLES
IN THE SHAKING TRAYS.
THEY DEHUSK THAT RICE
AND MIX IT WITH THE REST.
GRINDING MACHINES NOW MILL
THE RICE TO REMOVE THE BRAN.
THE BRAN SPILLS
OUT OF PERFORATIONS
AND IS RECOVERED
FOR USE IN CATTLE FEED.
WITH THE BRAN REMOVED, THE
RICE
GOES FROM BROWN TO WHITE.
THE FINAL GRINDING POLISHES
THE RICE
TO GIVE IT A PEARLY SHEEN.
THIS IS THE UNMILLED BROWN
RICE.
AND HERE IT IS
WITH THE BRAN REMOVED.
DURING MILLING,
SOME RICE KERNELS ARE DAMAGED.
THIS SPINNING, DIMPLED
CYLINDER
NOW SEPARATES THE BROKEN
KERNELS
FROM THE WHOLE ONES.
THE BROKEN RICE KERNELS
FALL INTO THE DIMPLES
OF THE CYLINDER,
AND FROM THERE,
INTO AN INTERNAL CATCH PAN.
THEY'LL BE USED
TO MAKE CEREAL OR BEER.
THE WHOLE RICE NOW
MOVES THROUGH A COLOR SORTER.
COMPUTERIZED CAMERAS ANALYZE
IT
FOR DARK IMPERFECTIONS
AND SIGNAL AIR NOZZLES
TO BLAST THEM OUT OF THE MIX.
OF COURSE, THERE'S ALSO A
MARKET
FOR UNMILLED BROWN RICE.
NOW READY FOR PACKAGING,
A SCRAPER
MOVES IT ACROSS A TABLE
AND INTO PLASTIC TUBES BELOW.
HOT JAWS SEAL THE TUBES
AT BOTH ENDS,
AND THIS RICE IS IN THE BAG.
BROWN OR WHITE,
SHORT OR MEDIUM GRAIN,
THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS.
