Ionizing Irradiation Regulation of Rice Product Quality: A Comprehensive Analysis Based on Starch Multiscale Structure.

Rice and rice-derived products are staple foods worldwide, creating an urgent demand for green processing technologies that ensure safety, preserve quality, and extend shelf life. Ionizing irradiation, characterized by high efficiency, non-thermal processing, and the absence of chemical residues, has been increasingly utilized in the storage, preservation, and quality control of rice and rice-based products. As the principal component of rice, starch exhibits a multiscale structural organization spanning molecular to macroscopic levels, which fundamentally determines cooking performance, eating quality, and storage stability. Through modulation of the multiscale structure of starch, ionizing irradiation can achieve targeted quality improvement and stabilization of rice products. This review summarizes the effects of three common types of ionizing irradiation on the structural evolution of rice starch. With a focus on practical applications, it further elucidates the intrinsic relationships between irradiation-induced starch structural modifications and the physicochemical properties, sensory quality, and storage stability of rice products. In addition, current industrial applications and existing technical limitations are critically discussed, and targeted optimization strategies. Finally, based on the fundamental mechanisms underlying starch "structure-quality" regulation, future application-oriented research directions are highlighted.