An on-line algorithm that discriminates brown rice kernels on their echelon feeder using color image processing is presented for quality inspection. A rapid color image segmentation algorithm based on Bayesian clustering method was developed by means of the look-up table which was made from the significant clusters selected by experts. A robust estimation method was presented to improve the stability of color clusters. Discriminant analysis of color distributions was employed to distinguish nine types of brown rice kernels. Discrimination accuracies of the on-line discrimination algorithm were ranged from 72% to 85% for the sound, cracked, green-transparent and green-opaque, greater than 93% for colored, red, and unhulled, about 92% for white-opaque and 67% for chalky, respectively.