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.