Grain by grain: A microscopic image dataset of rice varieties from Bangladeshi rice markets

Abstract

Although Rice is the staple food of Bangladesh, the practice of cutting and polishing rice to make it look attractive, i.e., thinner, and shinier, leads to serious health concerns. While the motivation behind this process is to increase market value, it leads to the loss of minerals, nutrients, vitamins, and fibers, leaving only carbohydrates, which can result in serious health concerns. This article presents an extensive dataset of images of rice collected from the local market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, captured using high-resolution microscopic cameras. This dataset features more than 200 images each from 10 different types of rice, totalling approximately 2010 images. After augmentation, the folders expanded to 800 images, totalling 8010 augmented images. Each of the images provides a detailed view of the structure of each rice grain after the milling process and shows the result of the polishing process, which proves the nutritional loss. The sole purpose of presenting the dataset is to prove the hidden impact of the milling process on rice and serve as a valuable resource for further study on rice quality and overall food security.