Red Flattened Rice

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Red flattened rice (lal poha) is made by parboiling, flattening, and drying red-pigmented rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties that retain their bran layer, giving them a characteristic reddish-brown color. It is consumed as a whole-grain staple food and breakfast ingredient across South Asia, valued for its higher nutrient and phytochemical content compared to white poha.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Red flattened rice is a whole-food ingredient with no known toxicity and a broad safety consensus; no adverse effects have been identified in the general adult population at typical dietary intake. It is naturally gluten-free and rich in antioxidant phytochemicals including proanthocyanidins, phenolics, γ-oryzanol, and tocopherols. No ADI has been established as it is an unprocessed whole-grain food, not a food additive.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Pigmented rice and its processed forms such as flattened rice are regulated as conventional cereal foods under EU food law (Regulation EC 178/2002). No restrictions apply to red flattened rice as a food. Note: this is distinct from red yeast rice (Monascus-fermented), which is separately regulated as a food supplement due to monacolin K content.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	FSSAI gazetted updated standards for rice and processed rice products in August 2020, covering brown rice, milled rice, parboiled rice forms. Red flattened rice as a pigmented whole-grain form is regulated as a cereal product. No specific ban, restriction, or maximum daily intake applies.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Whole-grain rice and its minimally processed forms (including flattened/rolled rice) are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as conventional foods. No specific FDA ruling targets red flattened rice; it is classified as a whole-grain cereal food.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Diabetes — As a high-carbohydrate cereal food (approximately 87 g carbohydrates per 100 g dry weight), red flattened rice can raise postprandial blood glucose; individuals with diabetes should monitor portion sizes, though its higher fiber and phytochemical content compared to white poha may moderate the glycemic response.

Ibs — Flattened rice is a low-FODMAP food in moderate amounts, but rapid digestion of refined or partially milled variants may exacerbate symptoms in IBS patients who are sensitive to high-starch foods; whole-grain red varieties are generally better tolerated.

Gluten Intolerance — While red flattened rice is inherently gluten-free, cross-contamination during processing or packaging in shared facilities is a risk; individuals with celiac disease should verify certified gluten-free labelling before consumption.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Chemical and Bioactive Properties of Red Rice with Potential Pharmaceutical Use, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. Effect of Processing on Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity, Physicochemical, and Sensory Properties of Orange Sweet Potato, Red Rice, and Their Application for Flake Products, 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. Phytochemical constituents, antioxidant activity, and antiproliferative properties of black, red, and brown rice bran, 2018. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Anti-inflammatory effects of proanthocyanidin-rich red rice extract via suppression of MAPK, AP-1 and NF-κB pathways in Raw 264.7 macrophages, 2016. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5FSSAI. FSSAI Food Product Standards: Chapter 2.4 – Cereals and Cereal Products (including Flaked Rice / Poha), 2011. fssai.gov.in

Independently researched5 citations