Abstract: A process and apparatus for the continuous production of masa and whole-corn flour for grain-based foods, includes a preconditioning of clean corn, grinding the moisturized corn to produce fine and coarse grind fractions, sieving the fine grind and aspirating from both fractions a light-bran fraction as animal feed, remilling the coarse grind for further bran extraction and admixing the sifted fine grind with lime to produce a limed grind, low-moisture precooking of a stream of limed corn particles in another stream of saturated steam to obtain a partial starch pregelatinization and protein denaturation degree, venting and separating the moist-heated corn particles, conditioning the segregated fine grind to soften and swell the endosperm, germ and bran fractions, hot-air drying the tempered fine grind and stabilizing for extended shelf-life, cooling the dried fine grind with clean air; grinding the agglomerated particles, classifying and separating the fine grind produced from the coarse grind.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the continuous production of pregelatinized corn flours for dairy-based and cereal-based foods, includes an acid precooking with a sodium metabisulfite, or sodium hydrogen sulfite or sodium sulfite solution as a food processing aid for partial hydrolysis of insoluble fiber, starch and protein, along with a controlled pregelatinization and denaturation, kernel washing, stabilizing moisture content for grinding, milling and drying preconditioned kernel to produce a partial gelatinization, cooling and drying the dry-ground particle, separation and recovery of the ultrafine grind from the coarser grind while the latter is further aspirated to remove a light corn bran and further reground to produce bran flour, remilling and sieving the isolated coarser grind to obtain fine corn flour for cereal-based foods, and admixing only fine flour with lime to produce a masa flour. An ultrafine corn flour is used as an aid or adjuvant flour for dairy-based foods.

Abstract: Precooked and partially-debranned corn flour is continuously produced by an enzymatic precooking using a commercial blend of xylanase, endoamylase and endoprotease as a processing aid. The low-temperature and neutral-pH precooking with an endoenzyme solution effected a partial bran hydrolysis while avoiding excessive pregelatinization, reduced washing and corn solid loss in wastewater. Moisture content is then stabilized, followed by milling and drying at a high-temperature and short-time to produce a controlled gelatinization and denaturation in the ground kernel, cooling and further drying the dried-ground particle. A fine particle size or flour is separated and recovered from the coarser particle which is also segregated to isolate a partially hydrolysed bran fraction for integral flour or animal feed diet, remilling and sieving the coarser particle to produce an instant corn flour for snack, and admixing the fine particle with lime to obtain a masa flour for tortilla and other corn foods.