Rice Broken Percentage Explained

Broken percentage is one of the few quality numbers that affects price, appearance and cooking all at once. It is also one of the most argued-over figures in rice contracts, usually because the two sides measured it differently. Here is what it means and how to pin it down.

What counts as broken

The Codex Alimentarius standard for rice, used as a reference in international trade, counts a kernel as head rice if it is at least three-quarters of the average length of a whole kernel. Anything shorter is broken. The standard divides brokens further:

Large broken: between one-half and three-quarters of a whole kernel
Medium broken: between one-quarter and one-half
Small broken: one-quarter or less, but not passing through a 1.4 mm round-hole sieve
Chips: fragments small enough to pass through that sieve

National standards and contracts sometimes use slightly different cut-offs, which is why the contract should say which definition applies.

How it is measured

Sample properly. Draw small amounts from many bags across the lot and mix them, then divide down to a working sample, often 100 g or a few hundred grams.
Separate whole grains from brokens. Laboratories use an indented cylinder separator, a sieve set or careful hand sorting against a grain length gauge. Image analysers can measure every grain.
Weigh the fractions. Broken percentage is the weight of brokens divided by the weight of the sample, times 100.

Because it is a weight-based figure, a few large brokens count for more than many chips. Two laboratories using different sampling or separation methods can get different results from the same lot.

Typical grades

Rice	Typical broken limit
Premium basmati, raw or steam	1% to 2% maximum
Basmati sella	1% to 2% maximum
Non-basmati long grain, export grade	5% maximum, with 15% and 25% grades for price-led markets
Broken rice, sold as such	100% broken, often graded by size, used for flour, brewing and processing

Brokens removed during grading are sold separately, so a lower broken limit costs more. Every percentage point you accept should be reflected in the price.

What causes breakage

In the field. Grain that is harvested too late, or dries and rewets in the field, develops fine internal cracks called fissures.
In drying. Drying paddy too fast or too hot cracks kernels. Good mills dry in stages with rest periods.
In milling. Aggressive husking, whitening or polishing snaps weak grains. Settings must match the variety and moisture.
In handling. Drops from height, over-tight packing and rough loading add brokens after the mill.

Parboiling gelatinises the starch and seals internal cracks, so sella rice has far fewer brokens than raw rice. See the making of white and golden sella rice.

Why buyers care

Brokens cook faster than whole grains, turn soft and release starch, making the rice sticky. A pot of basmati with high brokens looks and eats like a cheaper rice. In food service, brokens also reduce the servings you get from a bag. For retail, customers notice brokens through the pack window at once.

How to write it into a contract

State the maximum broken percentage by weight, for example "1% maximum".
Name the definition, for example "brokens as defined in Codex Standard 198-1995, less than three-quarters of an average whole kernel".
Name the sampling method and the laboratory or inspection agency.
Test at loading, and keep a sealed sample from the same lot.

Broken percentage sits alongside grain length, moisture and defects in a full specification. See basmati rice specifications explained.

How we control it

We dry paddy in stages, set our milling line for each variety, and remove brokens with length graders before colour sorting. Every lot is tested for broken percentage before packing, as set out in our quality policy.

Ask us for a certificate of analysis from a recent lot, or a sample to test in your own laboratory.