Abstract: A process for freezing cooked rice utilizes a rotary drum, and blade elements rotated within the drum. A mass of cooked rice is fed into the drum, and a liquid refrigerant is jetted into the drum for freezing the rice. The mass of rice must be separated into individual grains. This is achieved by impact of the blades against the mass of rice. The degree of impact must be sufficient to separate the mass into individual grains, but must not be such as to damage the grains. The invention selects a range of speeds of circumferential rotation of the blades which gives separation without damage.

Abstract: An apparatus for freezing boiled rice has an internally bladed drum rotated at low speed and housing a bladed shaft rotated at a higher speed, the drum having covers at its inlet and outlet ends. A hopper feeds boiled rice in through the inlet cover to an inner bottom face of the drum. Pipe means feed refrigerant into the same zone of the drum. A discharge port in the outlet cover discharges frozen boiled rice and used refrigerant to the exterior.