R&D Story 04

Unlocking the Nutritional Potential of Brown Rice

The traditional Japanese meal is viewed as well-balanced and low in calories. To deliver the bountiful nutrients of brown rice to enrich daily meals, Sunstar has been engaging in continuous research and has developed unique products.

R&D Story 04

Leading technology drives the evolution of electronic devices

Electronic devices are an essential part of modern life. Sunstar Engineering, with focus on craftsmanship and contemporary demands, has always developed top quality materials that assist social development and reduce environmental impact.

Mobile
10px
Desktop
10px
Tablet
10px

Brown rice with vegetables and fish, the basis of a traditional Japanese meal

Mobile
40px
Desktop
40px
Tablet
40px

The Japanese are renowned for their longevity, boasting an average life expectancy of 83.7 years, while the rest of the world averages 71.4 years*. One of the reasons for this long life span is their exceptional diet. In Japan, where Sunstar has its origins, people traditionally ate brown rice – which is full of nutrients necessary for our body such as fiber, magnesium, and vitamin B6 – accompanied by well-balanced vegetable dishes.

Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px

*Reference: World Health Statistics 2016: Monitoring health for the SDGs

Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px
However, in the mid 20th century, these healthy eating habits were lost and meals were now based more on highly refined carbohydrates. This was partly due to the Green Revolution which happened all over the world, where the unprecedented use of high-yielding strains and chemical fertilizers allowed the mass production of grains to feed the world. Even though whole grains are highly recommended for health promotion worldwide, meals packed with refined carbohydrates and fat are consumed. This is the base for ever increasing non-communicative diseases.

The brown rice diet to restore people’s health

Mobile
40px
Desktop
40px
Tablet
40px

Over time, the traditional Japanese diet was forgotten, and more people started to get sick. Dining out and consuming fattier and saltier meals made them unhealthy. Foods that used to nourish the Japanese people were now transforming into a health threat.

Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px

Hiroo Kaneda, the son of the founder who succeeded Sunstar, was well aware of the deterioration of the population’s physical condition. He experienced the great benefits of brown rice first-hand when trying to improve the well-being of his employees. When he founded Shin-shin Kenko Dojo (Kenko Dojo Holistic Health Care Center), a facility that provides a 3 day food- and exercise-based health improvement program for Sunstar personnel, he chose the traditional Japanese meal as the official base menu from the start. Thanks partly to the well-balanced meals, many staff members experienced improvements in their health conditions after the program.

Having witnessed the impact of traditional brown rice meals on his employees’ health, Kaneda decided to share this knowledge with everyone.

Mobile
40px
Desktop
40px
Tablet
40px

Mobile
30px
Desktop
30px
Tablet
30px

Studies prove the health benefits of meals based on brown rice

Mobile
30px
Desktop
30px
Tablet
30px

There is a scientific basis for the revitalizing experience at Shin-shin Kenko Dojo. A joint team of university researchers and Sunstar’s R&D team revealed the benefits of meals based on brown rice in their investigations.

In these investigations, the team asked a group of volunteers who showed risks of lifestyle diseases (such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes), to eat three high-fiber, low-fat meals containing brown rice each day for eight weeks.

Week 0 = Usual meals

Weeks 0 to 8 = Meals with brown rice

Weeks 8 to 32 = Usual meals

After these eight weeks, they saw a significant improvement in the volunteers’ weight and indicators of diabetes, internal inflammation and periodontitis. Scientific studies proved the beneficial effects of a high-fiber, low-fat diet on the whole body as well as on oral health.

Plasma glucose (mmol/l)

(min)

*Nutrition Research 34 491-498 (2014)(P.496)

Blood glucose level after ingesting 75 grams of glucose at week 0, 8, and 32. The blood glucose level at week 8 was significantly lower than the other weeks.

We always strive to improve daily lives of people based on their contemporary needs

Rice bran, a superfood packed with 80% of the nutrients of brown rice

The surface of brown rice is covered by bran (the germ and skin), which gives it the brown appearance, and where about 80% of the grain’s bioactive nutrients are packed. The white core, which is what we are used to eating, contains mostly starch. Without this white core, rice bran makes a great ingredient for healthy products that are high in nutrients and fiber, and low in sugar.

Rice bran, a superfood packed with 80% of the nutrients of brown rice

Mobile
80px
Desktop
80px
Tablet
80px

Mobile
80px
Desktop
80px
Tablet
80px

Nutrients in 10 grams of processed bran*

Fiber

5.5 tablespoons of oatmeal

Potassium

2.5 tablespoons of raisins

Calcium

1 teaspoon of yoghurt

Magnesium

38 cashew nuts

Iron

70g of spinach

Vitamin B2

1.5 asparagus

Vitamin B6

6 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Vitamin E

1 almond
Mobile
10px
Desktop
10px
Tablet
10px
*Bran that is heat sanitized and pressed for excess oil extraction
Mobile
80px
Desktop
80px
Tablet
80px
Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px

(Top left and right) Research facility at Sunstar’s research institute in the Asahi-machi office in Osaka.

(Bottom right) Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGE) reader that measures cellular glycation levels.

Mobile
80px
Desktop
80px
Tablet
80px

Challenges to develop products that use rice bran effectively

Rice bran has diverse uses aside from food. Today, rice bran is used as animal feed, fertilizer, and as an oil source, but the rest is simply thrown away. Because it is highly nutritious, bran attracts bugs and gets easily oxidized, which makes it difficult to use. In addition, its particular flavor and rough texture tend to be disliked.

Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px

Knowing this, Sunstar’s R&D team found it a waste that rice bran was not being used to its full potential. Based on Sunstar’s holistic health concept providing health support to people through the improvement of their diet, the team started to develop products focusing on the benefits of rice bran.

Mobile
50px
Desktop
50px
Tablet
50px
Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px

Processing technology that enabled the development of rice bran products

Mobile
30px
Desktop
30px
Tablet
30px

The key to developing a rice bran product is in the processing technology. To create the technology to process rice bran, Sunstar worked in collaboration with industry specialists, as had been done with the university team to reveal the scientific basis of the benefits of rice bran.

Mobile
50px
Desktop
50px
Tablet
50px
Mobile
200px
Desktop
200px
Tablet
200px

STEP 1

Stabilize with heat

Heat kills microorganisms and deactivates the oxidizing enzyme called lipase. The temperature is adjusted carefully to protect heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins.

STEP 2

Press excess oil out

Excess oil, which oxidizes easily, is pressed out while preserving beneficial components such as unsaturated fatty acids.

STEP 3

Grind for better texture

Using a rolling machine, the bran is ground to 2 levels of refinement; 50-60um which retains some texture, and 10-15um which is fine like powder.

Grain of Rice
0%
9%
Brown Rice with Chaff
15%
9%
Brown Rice
35%
9%
Rice Brown
48%
9%
Volumetric Feeder
90%
10%
Sterilization / Cooking Process
90%
25%
Continuous Compression Machine
90%
40%
Rolling Machine
90%
50%
Product Hopper
90%
62%
Air Grinding
90%
75%

Fine Rice Bran

Mobile
100px
Desktop
100px
Tablet
100px
Mobile
200px
Desktop
200px
Tablet
200px

STEP 1

Stabilize with heat

Heat kills microorganisms and deactivates the oxidizing enzyme called lipase. The temperature is adjusted carefully to protect heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins.

STEP 2

Press excess oil out

Excess oil, which oxidizes easily, is pressed out while preserving beneficial components such as unsaturated fatty acids.

STEP 3

Grind for better texture

Using a rolling machine, the bran is ground to 2 levels of refinement; 50-60um which retains some texture, and 10-15um which is fine like powder.

Grain of Rice
5%
9%
Brown Rice with Chaff
20%
9%
Brown Rice
35%
9%
Rice Brown
50%
9%
Volumetric Feeder
45%
15%
Sterilization / Cooking Process
45%
25%
Continuous Compression Machine
45%
40%
Rolling Machine
45%
50%
Product Hopper
45%
62%
Air Grinding
45%
75%

Fine Rice Bran

Mobile
100px
Desktop
100px
Tablet
100px
Grain of Rice
40%
0%
Brown Rice with Chaff
40%
8%
Brown Rice
40%
18%
Rice Brown
40%
25%
Volumetric Feeder
40%
33%
Sterilization / Cooking Process
40%
40%
Continuous Compression Machine
40%
50%
Rolling Machine
40%
60%
Product Hopper
40%
70%
Air Grinding
40%
80%

Fine Rice Bran

STEP 1

Stabilize with heat

Heat kills microorganisms and deactivates the oxidizing enzyme called lipase. The temperature is adjusted carefully to protect heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins.

STEP 2

Press excess oil out

Excess oil, which oxidizes easily, is pressed out while preserving beneficial components such as unsaturated fatty acids.

STEP 3

Grind for better texture

Using a rolling machine, the bran is ground to 2 levels of refinement; 50-60um which retains some texture, and 10-15um which is fine like powder.

Developing convenient products with the nutrients of brown rice

While brown rice is widely recognized as healthy, many people stay away from it for various reasons, such as its flavor and lengthy cooking time. The team at Sunstar was able to develop convenient foods containing all the nutrients of bran with fewer calories.
The product had to be tasty and convenient so that consumers could continue to enjoy its health benefits. After developing various prototypes containing the nutrients of a bowl of brown rice, the Nomu Ichizen* and Kakeru Ichizen* series became Sunstar’s first rice bran products in Japan.
Mobile
10px
Desktop
10px
Tablet
10px
*In Japanese, Ichizen means one bowl of rice (approximately 150g) which is the standard portion of rice per meal. Nomu means “to drink” and Kakeru “to pour”.
Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px
Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px

Developing convenient products with the nutrients of brown rice

While brown rice is widely recognized as healthy, many people stay away from it for various reasons, such as its flavor and lengthy cooking time. The team at Sunstar was able to develop convenient foods containing all the nutrients of bran with fewer calories.
The product had to be tasty and convenient so that consumers could continue to enjoy its health benefits. After developing various prototypes containing the nutrients of a bowl of brown rice, the Nomu Ichizen* and Kakeru Ichizen* series became Sunstar’s first rice bran products in Japan.
Mobile
5px
Desktop
5px
Tablet
5px
*In Japanese, Ichizen means one bowl of rice (approximately 150g) which is the standard portion of rice per meal. Nomu means “to drink” and Kakeru “to pour”.
Mobile
30px
Desktop
30px
Tablet
30px

Easy-to-consume brown rice benefits through the “Drink” and “Pour” series

Nomu Ichizen

This beverage contains finely-ground semi-defatted rice bran, and easily provides its wholesome nutrients – a true product born from Sunstar innovation. In addition to bran, soy milk is blended for extra nutrients, and emulsified to give it a smooth texture. This pioneering rice bran beverage in the Japanese market is the result of Sunstar’s intensive research and development.

Kakeru Ichizen

This sauce-like product enriches daily meals simply by pouring it over rice or pasta. Using texture-rich semi-defatted bran, this vegan meal provides satiety despite its low calorie content. It contains extra vegetables for an additional supplement of vitamins and minerals.

Making the world healthier with rice bran

Mobile
20px
Desktop
20px
Tablet
20px

Sunstar has brought back the Japanese brown rice-based meals with a contemporary twist. Our rice bran products, the result of extensive R&D, are now available outside of Japan. Adjusting the flavor to local tastes whenever necessary, these rice bran beverages can be integrated into daily lives anywhere around the world. They are now sold in Singapore, and soon will be available in other Asian countries.

Mobile
30px
Desktop
30px
Tablet
30px

We at Sunstar believe that our products will contribute to people’s health around the world

We continue to research and develop rice bran products with new formulations based on customer feedback.

We at Sunstar believe that our products will contribute to people’s health around the world

We continue to research and develop rice bran products with new formulations based on customer feedback.

Find out more

KENKODOJO Brown Rice & Soy Drink

This unique drink combines rice bran, full of essential nutrients and bioactive components, and soy, a high-quality vegetable protein source. Both ingredients are important pillars of the balanced Japanese diet, said to be one of the sources of Japanese longevity and quality of life. To give this combination a mild and harmonious taste, this drink is lightly enriched with a banana and almond touch.

Learn more

References

2015

Yonei Y, Yagi M, Hamada U, Imamura I, Okamura S, Yamamoto K, Matsumoto M. 2015. A placebo-controlled, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group comparative study to evaluate the anti-glycation effect of a functional soymilk beverage supplemented with rice bran/rice bran oil. Glycative Stress Research [accessed 2015 June 30] Volume.2(2):80-100

Learn more

Holistic Health Care

Our 360° approach to total well-being. Holistic Health Care provides a connected approach across every aspect of daily life. As our company name reflects, Sunstar supports you throughout the day, from the morning sun to the night-time stars.

Learn more