GB735530A - Method of milling whole grain kernals for producing a non-rancidifying product - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of producing a sterile non-rancidifying whole grain ground product, i.e. flour and meal, from cereal grain comprises steeping the grain in a hot bath e.g. of an aqueous chemical solution, e.g. an aqueous alkaline bath having a pH of at least p 11.5 or an aqueous acid bath not less acid than about pH 4, to attack the cellulose of the grain covering until it is substantially weakened and the natural enzymes substantially deadened or destroyed, at a temperature e.g. 68 DEG to 82 DEG C. and for a time, e.g. half an hour to two hours, sufficient to inactivate the enzymes, comminuting the steeped grain and simultaneously dehydrating the grain with heated gases hot enough to produce sterility, e.g. at not less than 180 DEG C., in the resulting ground product and preferably the dehydration being continued until the final product has a water content of not more than 10 per cent. In an example wheat grain is steeped for half an hour at 82 DEG C. in an alkaline bath of approximately equal parts of Ca(OH)2 and NaOH having a pH of 14 after which the grain is washed at 76 DEG C. for 10 minutes and neutralized at 70 DEG C. with phosphoric acid of pH 1.2-2 for 10 minutes after which the grain is comminuted and simultaneously dehydrated by an air blast at a temperature of 350 DEG C., the final product having a temperature of 70 DEG C. and a water content of 6 to 9 per cent by weight. In a modification the wheat is steeped in 12 per cent HCl for a quarter-hour at 76 DEG to 78 DEG C., washed for 10 minutes at 78 DEG C., neutralized with Ca(OH)2 solution of pH 13 for 10 minutes and then washed in water at 72 DEG C. for five minutes, after which it is comminuted in an impact mill and simultaneously dehydrated by hot air or products of combustion at 350 DEG C.