Parboiling is an age-old process in parts of Asia, Africa, and to a limited extent in some European countries and America. It is done to improve the milling recovery of paddy, to salvage poor quality or spoiled paddy, and to meet the demands of certain consumer preferences. Many of the larger food processing manufacturers parboil rice before it is processed.

Some research studies report that parboiled rice retains more protein, vitamins, and minerals and is more nutritious than raw milled rice. However, other studies show no significant nutritional difference between the two. The inconsistency in results may be due to the method of parboiling, condition of the paddy, degree of bran removal, and variety differences which have more effect on the nutritional value.

Regardless of the advantages or disadvantages, consumer preferences in some countries require parboiled rice.