Rice Grading Explained: What Broken Percentage, Grain Length and Moisture Mean Before You Buy

Two suppliers quote you the "same" rice. One says 2% broken, the other says 5%. One lists 14% moisture, the other says nothing. Which offer is actually better?

Three numbers answer most of that: grain length, broken percentage and moisture. Once you know what each one measures, you can compare offers on facts instead of guesswork, and avoid disputes when the container arrives.

Why rice grades exist

Two lots of the same variety can look alike in a sample and still differ a lot in the bag. Grade numbers turn "looks good" into limits you can write into a contract and have tested.

Grain length: more than a number in millimetres

Average length

Length is measured on milled kernels. For basmati, the FSSAI standard (section 2.4.6) asks for an average milled length of at least 6.61 mm.

Length-to-width ratio

Length alone does not describe shape. Codex Standard 198-1995 treats milled rice with a length/width ratio of 3.0 or more as long grain, 2.0 to 2.9 as medium and 1.9 or less as short. Basmati rules add their own bar: a minimum ratio of 3.5.

Broken percentage: check the definition first

A broken grain is a piece of a kernel. FSSAI defines it as a piece less than three-fourths of a whole kernel. Codex counts a kernel of three-quarters length or more as head rice, then splits the rest into large, medium and small broken.

So before you compare "5% broken" from two sellers, ask which pieces are counted. The number only means something once the definition matches.

For basmati, FSSAI allows no more than 5.0% broken. India's basmati export grading rules (S.O. 67(E), 2003, amended 2016) set 2% for Special, 3% for A and 5% for B grade.

Moisture: the quiet number

Moisture is the one buyers skip, and it is the one that quietly changes what you pay for. Water is weight, so a wetter lot gives you fewer grains per tonne. It also raises the risk of mould and spoilage in storage and shipping.

The limits differ by rice type:

• Basmati (FSSAI): 14.0% maximum
• Regular and parboiled rice (FSSAI): 15.5% maximum
• Codex international standard: 15% maximum

These are ceilings, not targets. Trade sources note that export contracts often ask for tighter moisture than the legal maximum, so treat the contract as the real limit.

What to check before you say yes

• Ask for average length in mm and the length/width ratio, not just "long grain".
• Ask how "broken" is defined and which sizes are counted.
• Put the moisture figure in the contract, not "as per standard".
• Ask for a lab or inspection report on the actual lot.

Standards differ by rice type and country, and they get revised, so confirm the current version for your market.