A process and apparatus for the continuous production of whole
nixtamalized corn flour, includes a whole clean corn precooking with a
lime solution to effect a partial hydrolysis of pericarp and bran with
reduced soluble corn loss in Nejayote wastewater. Moisture content is
then stabilized, followed by milling and drying preconditioned corn for
further endosperm gelatinization in the whole ground kernel, venting and
separating the dry-milled fractions. Adiabatic cooling under a partial
vacuum of the vented dry-grind fractions and classifying with an upwardly
airstream to strip the fine-grind from the coarse grind while the latter
is separated downwardly as a moving bed. Venting and separating the
classified fine grind fraction; sifting and recovering the cooled and
classified fine grind so segregated from the coarse grind, remilling and
further screening the coarse grind produces a whole nixtamalized corn
flour for tortilla and whole grain corn-based foods.