Brown rice being more expensive than white rice is a common thing all around the world. Both of them taste and feel very similar, but they have a big difference in price. This is why many people wonder why that’s the case despite the similar price. We’re here to help users with this thought today through this brief overview. We’ve given the most common reasons why brown rice is more expensive than standard rice in this list:
Why Is Brown Rice More Expensive?
- Nutrition Difference
Before getting into the reasons why brown rice is more expensive compared to white rice, you should note that both of these are the same thing. Rice comes with a total of three layers on top of them. The first layer is the husk or also known as the shell which has to be removed.
After this, the second layer is usually the bran which is a brownish coating. This contains tons of nutrients and also makes essential oils. Most companies remove this layer as it helps in the rice lasting a much longer time. But, white rice loses that nutrition that comes with the extra layer. It’s one of the biggest selling points of brown rice and a huge benefit to choosing it over standard rice. Considering the extra nutrition that comes with it, it’s understandable why brown rice is more expensive.
- Shelf Life
As mentioned above, the middle layer of rice makes its shelf life shorter. Considering this, white rice has them removed. Most companies will keep tons of rice on their shelves for a long time. People can also purchase them without having to worry about the product going bad. However, on the other hand, when it comes to brown rice, you have to ensure that these are bought from a recent harvest.
The rice can go bad quickly which is why you also have to use them quickly. This can be a lot of hassle but when you consider the benefits of using brown rice over white rice then these are worth it. However, one reason why tons of people prefer white rice is because of how much easier they are to make. Brown rice requires more water and also takes longer to boil which can be quite annoying.
- Number Of Sellers
When purchasing rice, you will notice that most people decide to get white rice. This is why the supply of white rice is a lot more when compared to brown rice. Most brands decide to stock up on white rice instead of the second option. When it comes to brown rice, they already have a short demand, on top of it, people can have a hard time keeping them stored.
All of these reasons make companies sell the product at a premium. Considering this, if the demand for brown rice was to increase then other brands might start stocking up on them and decrease their price. But this can take a lot of time to implement as people have been using white rice over brown rice for a long time.
- Getting Oil from Bran
The middle layer of bran that people take off when supplying white rice is used to make different types of oils. This is why all the bran is sent to other companies instead. Brands profit from this on top of selling the white rice. Keeping this in mind, when it comes to brown rice, the brands can no longer profit from the bran so they put brown rice at a higher price instead. By doing this, they don’t lose out on any profits and can continue to run production.
This will also help you in understanding how important bran can be. Going through all the information provided, you should be able to get why brown rice is more expensive. Although, another important thing to note is that brown rice also has tons of negatives. Just like white rice, eating too much brown rice can be unhealthy. These have a high chance of increasing the blood sugar levels of people. This is why it is best that you only consume them in limited quantities.