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.