Maize & Sorghum

Maize
The maize kernel is transformed into valuable

foods and industrial products by two
processes:
1.Dry milling
2.Wet milling
Dry Milling
▲ Maize kernel is large, hard, flat and
contains a large germ than other cereals( ⁓12
% of the kernel).
▲ The germ is high in fat (34%) and must be

removed if the product is to be stored without
becoming rancid.
▲ In dry milling, the aim is to recover the
maximum amount of grits with the minimum
amount of flour, with the least possible
contamination of germ.
▲ Thus, the miller wants to remove the hull

i.e. pericarp, seed coat and aleurone layers
and germ without reducing the endosperm to
small particle size.
▲ The grains are cleaned and conditioned by
the addition of cold or hot water steam ( ⁓21
% moisture), which results in loosening and
toughening of the germ and bran.
▲ The endosperm is moistened to an ideal

moisture content such that the yield of grits is
maximum.
▲ After the removal of hull and germ, the
endosperm is reduced to grits of the desired size by
roller milling.
The products in dry milling are-
▲ Grits (40%)
▲ Coarse meal (20%)
▲ Fine meal (10%)
▲ Corn flour (5%)
▲ Germ (14%)
▲ Hominy feed (11%)
Wet Milling
The largest volume of maize in developed
countries such as the United States is
processed by wet milling to yield starch and
other valuable by-products such as liquid and
solid glucose, corn syrup, maize gluten meal
and feed.
Diagram of Maize process
Steeping
After milling similar to that used in dry
milling, the corn is steeped.
▲ Maize is first transferred into steep tanks.
▲ The steep water is a dilute solution (0.1-0.2

%) of sulfur dioxide designed to prevent
excessive microbial growth.
▲ The disulphite ions react with disulphide
bonds in the matrix proteins of the corn,
making them more hydrophillic and
soluble.
▲ Steeping is usually done for 30-48 hours at

48-520 C. As a result of steeping, the grain
softens and swells to almost twice its size,
taking upto 42 % moisture.
▲ The strong bondbetween the starch and
protein in the endosperm is weaked, making
it easier to isolate starch later on in the
process.
▲ The steep water is non washed. It contains

significant amounts of dissolved solids,
nearly half of which can be proteins, which
is called gluten.
▲ Maize gluten is different in composition
from that of wheat gluten.
▲ The maize gluten recovered from steep

water is used for animal feed (gluten feed).
▲ This can be concentrated by reverse
osmosis membrane filtration to about 55%
solids and used as part of the media for
growth of yeast and other microorganisms
for purposes such as antibiotic production.
▲ Steep water is also used as a fur cleaner.

Milling
The softened steeped maize is ground

coarsely in water by an attrition or
degerminating mill to break open the kernela
and to separate the germ away from the
material in the kernel without breaking it into
pieces.
▲ Two passes through the mill may be
needed to free the germ, after which it is
separated from the remainder of the kernel
with a liquid cyclone separator, or
hydroclone.
Screening, Centrifugation and Washing
Maize product
There are more than 3500 different uses for

maize products. Depending upon the maize
variety, kernels are eaten whole, popped or
used to make cornmeal, grits, corn flakes-
breakfast foods and hominy (a coarsely
ground maize meal boiled in milk or water).
▲ The grain is fermented to give ogi in Nigeria
and other countries in Africa
▲ Decorticated, degermed and precooked to be

made into arepas in Columbia and Venezuela.
▲ Maize flour dough does not have the elasticity

essential for the leavened breads, but is ideal
for flat breads such as tortillas.
▲ Some of the maize drinks are colados,
pinol and macho, basically suspensions of
cooked maize flour. Maize is also used as a
substrate for fermented beverages called
Chicha.
▲ Hominy grits are ideal for making corn

flakes. Cornstarch is used as a convenient
food thickener or textile stiffener.
▲ Corn germ is used for making corn oil. The
germs are first steamed and then passed through
expeller that forces out 98% of the extractable
oil and leaves the feed cake.
▲ The remaining 5% can be removed with

solvents such as hexane. The oil is filtered,
bleached and refined.
▲ Maize oil rich in EFA is used as a salad oil.

Sorghum
Flour made by grinding whole grain is
occasionally used, particularly with the
smaller millets, but in most places where
sorghum and millets are consumed, the grain
is partially seperated into its constituents
before food is prepared from it.
• The first objective of processing is usually
to remove some of the hull or bran, the
fibrous outer layer of the grain which is
done either by wet milling or dry milling.
• Dry milling is used to obtain products low

in fibre, fat and ash, and wet milling to
make starch and its derivatives.
The steps of Sorghum processing involves the
following steps-
▲ Cleaning and dehulling through hand pounding

▲ Decortication or attrition milling
▲ Grinding and pulverizing
Cleaning and dehulling through
hand pounding
After cleaning, the grain is moistened with
about 10% water or is soaked overnight.
Traditionally, the wet grain is pounded in a

mortar with one, two or even three pestle
throwers.
With soft grains, the endosperm breaks into
small particles and the pericarp can be
separated by winnowing and screening.
When suitable prepared grain is pounded, the

bran fraction contains most of the pericarp
along with some germ and endosperm.
This fraction is used as cattle feed. The other
fraction, containing most of the endosperm
and much of the germ along with some
pericarp, is retained for human
consumption.
Decortication or attrition milling
Sorghum and other millets are consumed as
food , are often milled by decortication
process because of two reasons-
1. The grains are nearly round and do not

have a crease.
2. The decortication process is similar to hand

pounding which is traditional processing of
grains.
Grinding and pulverizing
Dehulled sorghum is milled to meal or flour

using a hammer mill or burr mill. Whole
sorghum is also milled in this way as in
sorghum malt
Dry milling
The clean and moistened grain (20%) is milled
by the conventional roller mills, to separate
the endosperm, germ and bran from each
other.
Although maize and wheat milling systems

have been used on sorghum but they are
expensive.
The products of dry milling are:
1.Grit (76.7 %)
2.Bran (1.1 %)
3.Germ (11 %)
4.Fibre (10 %)
Bran and germ are further processed as in the

case of maize, for the preparation of oils
and feeds.
Wet Milling
Sorghum can be wet milled by the same
method as used for maize wet milling.
However, wet milling of sorghum is more
difficult than that of maize because;
1.Sorghum is a small size spherical grain
2. It has a small germ

3. Grain has dark-layered outer layers as
pericarp contains polyphenolic pigments.
These pigments leach out and give the
starch an off colour during wet grinding.
4. Bran of sorghum nreaks into small pieces

that interfere with the separation of protein
and starch.
Processing Malted Grains
Malting involves germinating grain and

allowing it to sprout.
▲ The grain is soaked for 16 to 24 hours

which allows it to absorb sufficient
moisture for germination and for sprouts to
appear.
▲ However, germinated sorghum rootlets and
sprouts contain very large amounts of
dhurrin, a cyanogenic glucoside, which on
hydrolysis produces a potent toxic known
as prossic acid, hydrocyanic acid (HCN)
and cyanide.
▲ In the germination process , the grain
produces α-amylase, an enzymes that
converts insoluble starch to soluble sugars.
▲ Germinated grain can make food more

suitable for certain categories of young
children.
▲ Flour from malted grain is widely used in
the production of weaning and
supplementary food for children.
▲ When such foods are made from sorghum,

great care must be taken to ensure that the
levels of cyanide is adequately low, as
children are particularly vulnerable to
cyanide.
Processed Sorghum Based Products.

Maize & Sorghum

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Maize

The maize kernel is transformed into valuable

▲ The germ is high in fat (34%) and must be

▲ Thus, the miller wants to remove the hull

▲ The endosperm is moistened to an ideal

▲ Maize is first transferred into steep tanks.

▲ The steep water is a dilute solution (0.1-0.2

▲ Steeping is usually done for 30-48 hours at

▲ The steep water is non washed. It contains

▲ The maize gluten recovered from steep

▲ Steep water is also used as a fur cleaner.

The softened steeped maize is ground

There are more than 3500 different uses for

▲ Decorticated, degermed and precooked to be

▲ Maize flour dough does not have the elasticity

▲ Hominy grits are ideal for making corn

▲ The remaining 5% can be removed with

▲ Maize oil rich in EFA is used as a salad oil.

• Dry milling is used to obtain products low

▲ Cleaning and dehulling through hand pounding

Traditionally, the wet grain is pounded in a

When suitable prepared grain is pounded, the

1. The grains are nearly round and do not

2. The decortication process is similar to hand

Dehulled sorghum is milled to meal or flour

Although maize and wheat milling systems

Bran and germ are further processed as in the

1.Sorghum is a small size spherical grain

2. It has a small germ

4. Bran of sorghum nreaks into small pieces

Malting involves germinating grain and

▲ The grain is soaked for 16 to 24 hours

▲ Germinated grain can make food more

▲ When such foods are made from sorghum,

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