by
Alexandra Londoño Baderschneider, Product Manager, Bühler AG, Uzwil,
Switzerland
Tightening the grip on corn processing
Corn plays an important role in the international food processing industry, as a raw material for snacks and staple foods and Bühler has been an expert in corn processing technology for many years.
In addition to the conventional processing of corn into maize grits, semolina or corn flour, Bühler has also developed special processes to meet local or regional requirements. For many of us, snacking has become part of our daily lives.
Whereas, in the past, we used to snack on not-so-healthy treats such as chocolate or cookies, the growing “snackification” trend has brought a change in our eating habits.
For many, snacking no longer represents eating between meals but instead snacks have become mini-meals. Corn is one of the raw materials used for manufacturing extruded snacks.
However, in many countries, corn is also the number one staple food. More corn is grown throughout the world than any other grain crop. Every year, more than 1 billion tonnes of corn are harvested and 70 percent of this is processed into animal feed.
The remaining 30 percent, around 175 million tonnes, is used for manufacturing food and in industrial applications such as starch used in the production of paper and chemicals.
Bühler: The corn specialist
Bühler has decades of experience with corn and covers all stages of the corn processing chain. In conventional corn processing operations, optimal results are achieved from the combined outcome of each step.
During raw material intake and cleaning, impurities such as small stones, sand, and defective grains are removed. If there is an aflatoxin contamination, Bühler's optical sorting machine can detect and remove infested grains with great precision.
During degermination, bran and germ are efficiently removed from endosperm before subsequent grinding. With efficient grinding processes, end products can be adjusted to the required granulation. Conditioning and flaking are optional stages in the production of pre-cooked food.
Local corn specialties
Bühler's corn solutions set the standard for efficiently processing raw material, corn, with maximum yield, consistently high-quality end products as well, prolonged shelf life and higher food safety.
Each individual process stage is fully integrated into the production line, from the raw material to the end product. Bühler not only delivers the traditional integrated processing solutions for grinding corn into top quality semolina and flour, but has also adapted conventional processes for manufacturing local corn specialties, such as arepa flour, tortilla (nixtamalised) flour and African maize meal.
Environmental friendly process
In Central and South America, nixtamalised corn flour is used to produce tortillas, tortilla chips and other snacks. In the traditional corn nixtamalisation process, corn is cooked in limewater for several hours before being ground.
This process gives the finished tortillas and tortilla chips their characteristic taste. A large amount of water is used in the traditional nixtamalisation cooking process such as 1,500 litres to process 1,000 kilogrammes of corn.
The addition of lime contaminates the cooking water and requires expensive reprocessing plants to purify the wastewater. Therefore, the operating and investment costs for wastewater treatment are extremely high.
Read the full article, HERE.
Tightening the grip on corn processing
Corn plays an important role in the international food processing industry, as a raw material for snacks and staple foods and Bühler has been an expert in corn processing technology for many years.
In addition to the conventional processing of corn into maize grits, semolina or corn flour, Bühler has also developed special processes to meet local or regional requirements. For many of us, snacking has become part of our daily lives.
Whereas, in the past, we used to snack on not-so-healthy treats such as chocolate or cookies, the growing “snackification” trend has brought a change in our eating habits.
For many, snacking no longer represents eating between meals but instead snacks have become mini-meals. Corn is one of the raw materials used for manufacturing extruded snacks.
However, in many countries, corn is also the number one staple food. More corn is grown throughout the world than any other grain crop. Every year, more than 1 billion tonnes of corn are harvested and 70 percent of this is processed into animal feed.
The remaining 30 percent, around 175 million tonnes, is used for manufacturing food and in industrial applications such as starch used in the production of paper and chemicals.
Bühler: The corn specialist
Bühler has decades of experience with corn and covers all stages of the corn processing chain. In conventional corn processing operations, optimal results are achieved from the combined outcome of each step.
During raw material intake and cleaning, impurities such as small stones, sand, and defective grains are removed. If there is an aflatoxin contamination, Bühler's optical sorting machine can detect and remove infested grains with great precision.
During degermination, bran and germ are efficiently removed from endosperm before subsequent grinding. With efficient grinding processes, end products can be adjusted to the required granulation. Conditioning and flaking are optional stages in the production of pre-cooked food.
Local corn specialties
Bühler's corn solutions set the standard for efficiently processing raw material, corn, with maximum yield, consistently high-quality end products as well, prolonged shelf life and higher food safety.
Each individual process stage is fully integrated into the production line, from the raw material to the end product. Bühler not only delivers the traditional integrated processing solutions for grinding corn into top quality semolina and flour, but has also adapted conventional processes for manufacturing local corn specialties, such as arepa flour, tortilla (nixtamalised) flour and African maize meal.
Environmental friendly process
In Central and South America, nixtamalised corn flour is used to produce tortillas, tortilla chips and other snacks. In the traditional corn nixtamalisation process, corn is cooked in limewater for several hours before being ground.
This process gives the finished tortillas and tortilla chips their characteristic taste. A large amount of water is used in the traditional nixtamalisation cooking process such as 1,500 litres to process 1,000 kilogrammes of corn.
The addition of lime contaminates the cooking water and requires expensive reprocessing plants to purify the wastewater. Therefore, the operating and investment costs for wastewater treatment are extremely high.
Read the full article, HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com
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