The new product vegan rice leather is spreading quickly throughout the fashion industry and today we get to talk to the man himself, Asif Ali Gohar, about whether changing the type of rice would change the final product. Currently he is using white rice, but we wanted to know what would happen if he used brown rice, and if the different types make a different color, texture, or a whole other product.
Thank you so much for being here today! I want to jump right in, if that’s ok, and see what you must share with us. Since you have been using white rice, we all want to know if you could use brown rice, or a different type of white rice to get different results.
I am glad to be here. I have tried a few types of white rice, and we are starting to experiment with brown rice. There may be a slightly different texture, but the coloring of the final product is different when we use alternative rice. The starch breaks down in almost identical ways, but it does result in a few minor differences. Perhaps if we can find a way to make those differences more pronounced, we can expand the line or create mixed ones.
Is there an advantage possible if you can use all different types of rice?
There are several advantages to being able to use more types! It will be more readily available, and I will be able to buy from more suppliers. If I can use more suppliers then it will allow me to support more workers and small farmers, bringing money into communities who need it most. I enjoy being able to support small businesses and to help them grow and invest back into their own communities as well.
Will you be adding different rice into the mixture soon or is there more testing and research to be done?
I would say there is some additional testing and trial runs to be done before we begin to launch anything new. We need to be sure that we have sorted out all the problems, have a stable supply line, that there will be a demand for any new products, and ensure that we will have the equipment to run both or the staff to clean the equipment and keep it running longer. We will not be replacing the product that we make now or replacing the rice that we do use but adding additional rice and products.
That sounds great! It seems like we have something new to look forward to adding to our collection. Is there anything else you would like to share about this topic before we sign off?
I would like to thank everyone for supporting my business, and for helping me to support the suppliers, communities, and my staff. We are making their lives better through this process and as the company grows the more, we can give back. I appreciate when people like you provide me with the opportunity to spread knowledge about what we are doing and to the feedback helps me know what to do next.
