Consumers to Taste and Select Delicious Rice... Recruitment for 'High-Quality Rice National Evaluation Panel'

Recruitment of 180 Members for the National Evaluation Panel Until May 18

The government will recruit a National Evaluation Panel, in which consumers directly assess the taste and quality of rice, until May 18. Based on the results of this evaluation, the government plans to actively promote rice varieties that are both delicious and of high quality.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on April 23 that it will recruit 180 members of the National Evaluation Panel to assess the taste of major rice varieties in the country for three weeks, from April 28 to May 18.

The 180 members of the National Evaluation Panel will evaluate the palatability of 30 high-quality rice varieties recommended by related agencies such as the Rural Development Administration, the National Seed Management Center, and local governments over a period of six weeks. The panel will assess five categories, including taste, aroma, and appearance, using a nine-point scale.

Each panelist will receive rice samples by mail and taste them at home according to evaluation guidelines before submitting their assessments. To ensure fairness, the variety of each sample will be kept blind, and each panelist will evaluate a total of 30 rice samples, five per week.

In addition to the National Evaluation Panel, a group of 20 expert evaluators who have received professional training in rice tasting will also conduct more detailed assessments. The scores from both the National Evaluation Panel and the expert panel will be combined, and the top three varieties will be awarded the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award and featured in special promotional sales events. The evaluation results will be actively used in future policies, such as the selection of government-supplied seeds and marketing support for outstanding varieties. The government aims to use this opportunity to accelerate the production and distribution of high-quality rice varieties so that consumers can enjoy delicious rice anytime and anywhere.

Those who wish to participate in the National Evaluation Panel can apply through 'Misogokgan,' the rice promotion channel operated by the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, until May 18. The Ministry plans to ensure a balanced composition of the panel in terms of gender, age, and region of residence.

Byun Sangmun, Director General for Food Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We will continue to promote the quality and characteristics of each rice variety so that their unique features and excellence can become criteria for consumer choice," adding, "As this is the first step in creating standards for high-quality rice varieties not only by experts but also together with the public, we ask for your great interest and active participation in the recruitment of the National Evaluation Panel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.