Duncan Macintosh, a spokesperson for the non-profit Philippines-based international rice research institute (IRRI) explained that consumers and industry were unaware of the incredible diversity belonging to the foodstuff, which he estimates has over 80,000 distinct varieties.

This widespread unawareness has seen the reputation of rice remain that of an incredibly important, yet rather humble addition to the global food chain.

"Rice is many ways is similar to grapes used in wine, as both seem very simple crops," said Macintosh in a conversation with AP-Foodtechnology.com.

"Like wine however, each individual variety of rice has very unique attributes not just in taste and flavour, but with benefits for both supply and health, like resistance to soil types and high levels of iron and zinc."

Macintosh believes an already popular example of this is jasmine rice, which besides its fragrant taste is also particularly adept at being grown in hot and humid climates.

He points out that with some innovative breeding, processors could turn to different varieties of rice to better adapt to unsuitable growing conditions around the world.

With growing concern particularly in the US over the commercialisation of GM rice, a natural alternative of developing resistant and nutritional crops like rice may come as an important development for the industry.

"Though processors particularly in country's like China are looking at GM rice to meet demand, they are moving cautiously in its development," said Macintosh.

"This means processors can still tailor their products to specific markets with natural crop breading of certain varieties of rice."

The comments follow this month's announcement that the IRRI has secured a funding agreement with Rome-based Global Crop Diversity Trust for an annual allowance of €465,000 to continue its work.

The funding it is hoped will allow the IRRI to continue to research specific differences over almost 100,000 strains of the product, through the maintenance of its gene bank.

While the gene bank is not the only rice facility of its kind, Macintosh added that the IRRI was keen to share it findings with the global rice industry to ensure the supply and quality of the product for the future.

As such, he welcomed the funding agreement as in important step in tapping the potential of rice, but added he hoped to see a greater role by the industry in meeting challenges in protecting supply and quality of the produce.

"While the funding is very important and useful, the Genetic Resources Centre still needs more funding if we (the rice research community and industry) are really going to get all the benefits from the world's thousands of rice varieties," he said.

"The food industry does very little to fund public agricultural research, despite the benefits it gets in return."

Along with its abilities to protect the supply chain, Macintosh added that food processors were also missing out on a growing desire amongst emerging rice markets in Asia for innovation in taste and health.

He believes therefore that increased incomes amongst consumers in Asia will change demand for rice from cost effectiveness to issues of taste.

"People will soon be looking for quality over quantity at their dinner tables looking for more exotic and colourful rice types," he said.

"We are perhaps missing just that little bit of entrepreneurial flair in the industry to really push this change."