A process for the production of fresh masa, nixtamalized flour and derived
products. The invention is a new process for production of corn masa
(dough) to be used in the production of tortillas, fried or baked
tortilla chips, tostadas, or corn chips. The new process produces masa
directly from raw materials without the traditional cooking and steeping
steps. It utilizes a series of processing steps including dry blending,
hydrating, and working dough in an extruder having a unique screw
configuration. The new process uses very little water and emits no waste
water.