Origins
In the 1930s, the German-British scientist and chemist Erich Huzenlaub (1888–1964) invented a form of parboiling designed to retain more of the nutrients in rice, now known as the Huzenlaub Process. It involves first vacuum drying of the whole grain, then steaming, and finally vacuum drying and husking. Besides increasing rice's nutritional value, it also made it resistant to weevils and reduced cooking time.
In 1932, Forrest Mars, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with the goal of growing the Mars food company internationally. While in the United Kingdom, Forrest Mars, Sr. learned of Erich Huzenlaub's work with rice. Huzenlaub's London based company was called "Rice Conversion, Ltd." The two businessmen eventually formed "Mars and Huzenlaub" in Houston, Texas which gave Forrest Mars, Sr. an ownership in the "Huzenlaub Process" rice conversion patent. In 1942, through Forrest Mars, Sr.'s guidance and sponsorship, Huzenlaub created "Rice Conversion, Inc." with a Houston food broker, Gordon L. Harwell, forming Converted Rice, Inc., which sold its entire output to the U.S. and British Armed Forces. The value of this food product was that the U.S. and British military could air drop bags of Huzenlaub Process rice to troops in the field without risk of weevil infestation and the troops could cook their meals more quickly than previous food products. Additionally, the converted rice product would retain more vitamins integral to troop's nutrition unlike non-converted rice. In 1944, with additional financing from the Defense Plant Corporation and an investment by Forrest Mars, Sr., it built a second large plant. In 1959, Forrest Mars, Sr. bought out Erich Huzenlaub and merged the company into his Food Manufacturers, Inc..
Read more about this topic: Uncle Ben's Rice
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