Patent ID: 7459174

Claim:
A biocatalytic process for the continuous production of precooked and partially debranned corn flour for snack and tortilla foods, comprising the steps of: precooking cleaned corn kernel with water at about 75 to 90° C. to form a suspension of corn and water, having a corn to water ratio between 1:1 and 1:2.0, further precooking the corn kernel at a neutral-pH with a solution comprising at least one endoenzyme selected from the group consisting of a xylanase, endoamylase and endoprotease, to effect a partial hydrolysis of insoluble heteroxylans, and starchy and proteinaceous bran cell-walls, washing said precooked kernel to remove soluble solids and denatured said at least one endoenzyme, stabilizing a moisture content of said washed precooked kernel, milling said washed precooked corn kernel and drying said milled corn kernel for further pregelatinization, cooling and further drying said milled and dried corn kernel with ambient air, sifting said milled corn to obtain a fine fraction, under 20 to 100 mesh to produce a corn flour with fine particle size, and a coarse fraction, and aspirating said sifted coarse fraction to remove an hydrolyzed corn bran for integral flour or feed diet.