Precooked and partially debranned corn flour is continuously produced by
an enzymatic precooking using a commercial endoxylanase and endoamylase blend as
a processing aid. The low-temperature and near neutral-pH precooking with an endoxylanase
and endoamylase solution effects a partial hydrolysis of bran and starchy cell-walls
with a controlled gelatinization and reduced conditioning and corn solid loss in
wastewater. Moisture content is then stabilized after washing, followed by milling
and drying at a high temperature for a short time to produce a partial gelatinization
in the ground kernel, cooling and further drying the dried-milled particle. A fine
particle size or flour is separated and recovered from the coarser particle which
is also segregated to isolate a light bran fraction for integral flour or feed
use, remilling and sieving the coarser particle to produce an instant corn flour
for snack chip and corn-based food, and admixing the fine particle with lime to
obtain a masa flour for tortillas and the like.