Patent Application
20210259289
“Not applicable”
The production process of nixtamalized flours generates a liquid waste known as nejayote. It's estimated that a tonne of processed maize requires a water volume of three cubic meters, the production of nejayote requires around 50 million cubic meters (Scheel, 2016). If nejayote is left untreated, it can generate environmental pollution due to its high pH and high concentrations of organic matter and calcium hydroxide. Various processes of nixtamalized flour production that reduce or eliminate the production of nejayote are known, these include different configurations of operations which include extrusion, fragmentation of the parts of maize grain.
In that sense, different devices can be cited:
I.—The state of the technique of the patent MXPA05006459 describes the cooking of the pre-milled grain particles in presence of food grade lime and/or hydrochloric acid and water, using the equipment, known as extruder, in which heat can be added using electrical resistances and/or water vapor and/or combustion gases if needed. In this manner, doughs are produced and/or semolina and/or precooked flours that possess chemical and nutritional characteristics similar to their traditionally processed counterparts. The problem of passing the whole grain through the extruder is that it produces flours that, when used in tortillas, yield rigid products. Unlike the present invention where the fibers of the grain are milled and are later added to the extruder producing soft products. In addition to the beforementioned, the grain is hydrated and polished before the fractions pass through the extruder, this way the properties of the flour improve and clogging in the extruder is avoided. In addition, the present invention uses the process of milling-instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
II.—The state of the technique of the patent MX 283057 B describes a process and device for the continuous production of ground nixtamalized and whole maize flour for grain-based foods, that includes pre-condition clean maize, mill the moistened maize to produce fractions of fine and coarse milling, sift the fine milling and vacuum both fractions, one fraction of light maize bran as animal feed, remill the coarse milling for the extraction of additional maize bran and mix the sifted fine milling with food grade lime to yield a milling with food grade lime, precook with low humidity a current of maize particles with food grade lime against a current of saturated vapor to obtain a partial degree of pre-gelatinization of starch and denaturation of protein, ventilate and separate the heated maize particles with humidity, conditionate the segregated fine milling to soften and inflate the fractions of endosperm, germ and bran, cool the fine milling dried with clean air; mill the agglomerated particles, classify and separate the fine milling yielded by the coarse milling while the last fraction is remilled and sifted to yield a pre-gelatinized flour for tortillas and maize-based foods. The aforementioned patent yields a by-product utilized for animal feed, in the present invention most of the grain is used which represents a technical advantage. The aforementioned patent does not use extrusion or milling-instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
III.—The state of the technique of the patent application MXPA/a/2005/002025 describes an improved process for obtaining of dough or maize flour, which utilizes a modified system of extrusion that features two extrusion tubes, where the first extruder nixtamalized the maize and the second accelerates the cooling of the mixture, which will prevent the flocculation of the starch. The problem of passing the whole grain through a system of extruders is that it produces flours that, when used in the preparation of tortillas, yield rigid products. Unlike the present invention where the grain fibers are milled and are then added to the extruder producing soft products. In addition to the beforementioned, the grain is hydrated and polished before the fractions pass through the extruder, this way the properties of the flour improve and clogging in the extruder is avoided.
IV.—The state of the technique of the patent MX 290668 B describes a process of nixtamalization where the fractions of maize endosperms, sub-fractions or combinations thereof, are nixtamalized individually to yield food products. When nixtamalizing the fractions and using a relation of four to six parts of food grade lime solution to one part of endosperm fraction a big amount of alkaline solution which will have to be treated is being produced. The present invention does not produce basic effluents; therefore, it is more friendly with the environment than the aforementioned patent. In addition, the present invention uses the process of extrusion and milling-instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
V.—The state of the technique of the patent MX 301668 B describes a process for the production of a flour dough. It utilizes a series of steps of processing that include dry mixing, hydrating, and working the dough or paste in an extruder with a single screw configuration. When mixing the maize grain fractions, adding a gelling agent, and then hydrating them to later on pass them through an extruder as a past, it can generate blockages in the extruder increasing the time of the process. Unlike the aforementioned patent, the grain fibers are milled before passing through the extruder avoiding clogging in the equipment. In addition to the beforementioned, the grain is hydrated and polished before the fractions pass through the extruder, this way the properties of the flour improve and clogging in the extruder is avoided.
VI.—The state of the technique of the patent MX 307096B describes a process and device for the continuous production of whole nixtamalized maize flours, it includes a pre-cook of the whole clean maize with a food grade lime solution to effect a partial hydrolysis of the pericarp and bran with reduced loss of soluble corn in nejayote wastewater. The humidity content is then stabilized, followed then by milling and drying the preconditioned maize for an additional gelatinization of the endosperm in the whole milled grain, later ventilate and separate the dried milled fractions. The aforementioned patent washes cooked maize seeds to eliminate soluble solids and food grade lime excess; therefore, this process yields basic effluents. The proposed invention does not produce basic effluents; therefore, it is more friendly with the environment. In addition, the present invention uses the process of extrusion and milling-instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
VII.—The state of the technique of the patent application U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,260A describes a selective process of nixtamalization that consists in separating the pericarp from the grain to form a fraction of pericarp and a fraction of endosperm-germ, only subjecting the pericarp fraction to the nixtamalization, heating in an alkaline solution and then mixing the fraction of nixtamalized pericarp with the fraction of untreated endosperm-germ. In the aforementioned patent application, the nixtamalized pericarp is washed by means of a plurality of washing stages, which yields alkaline effluents from the process, unlike the proposed invention which does not yield effluents by washing; therefore, it is less polluting. In addition, the present invention uses the process of extrusion and milling-instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
VIII.—The state of the technique of the patent MX285780B refers to a process for the production of fresh dough, nixtamalized flour and derived products, which utilizes a series of processing stages that include milling, mixing, hydrating, cooking and continuous cooling to prevent gelatinization. The aforementioned patent includes a mixture with the following fractions of pericarp between approximately 3% to approximately 7% in weight of the maize based mixture and the germ fraction between approximately 1% to approximately 5% in weight of the maize based mixture and it includes a fraction of endosperm between approximately 90% to approximately 93% in weight of the maize based mixture. The difference between the aforementioned patent and the present invention consists in that, with the aforementioned fractions, part of the maize grain is wasted because a maize graine consists between 5% to 6% of pericarp in weight, while the germ is equivalent from 9% to 11% of the weight and the endosperm around 83% of the weight. The proposed invention reduces the residue of the maize grain to a minimum. The aforementioned invention does not use extrusion or milling-instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
IX.—The state of the technique of the article “Tortillas del maiz azul (Zea mays L.) preparadas por un proceso de nixtamalización fraccionado: usando la metodologia de la superficie de respuesta”, in this work the pericarp, peduncle, and germ were separated from the endosperm in a pneumatic separator. Afterwards, both fractions were nixtamalized. The fraction of pericarp, peduncle, and germ were nixtamalized with an alkaline solution of boiling water (0.29 at 1.71% of calcium hydroxide) in relation fraction of pericarp, peduncle, and germ: alkaline solution 1:1. Afterwards, the endosperm was cooked in a period of 9.2 to 51.2 minutes. Preceedingly, the nixtamalized fractions were dried at 60° C. for five hours. Finally, the dry fractions were milled. In the aforementioned article, a residue of an alkaline solution is formed once the nixtamalization process of the fractions of pericarp, peduncle, and germ is finalized, unlike the present invention which does not yield any residue or alkaline effluent. In addition to the above, another advantage of the proposed invention is that the cooking and nixtamalization of the endosperm is done by an extruder; therefore, there's no generation of a hot water current that later needs to be treated before being taken out of the process. The aforementioned invention does not use extrusion or milling-instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
X.—The state of the technique of the article “Desarrollo de una harina preparada con base en maiz nixtamalizado por extrusion”, in this article they developed a mixture of nixtamalized maize flour with flour from various legumes that were treated through extrusion, for use in the elaboration of cereal based products. The moistening of the maize grain was carried out in a mixer gradually adding water with calcium hydroxide at 0.7% with a sprinkler letting it rest for 24 hours under refrigeration. Afterwards, the nixtamalization took place during the extrusion of this grain. When the whole grain is passed directly through the extruder rigid flours are yielded, unlike the present invention where the fiber is milled before passing through the extruder, producing soft products. In addition, the present invention uses the process of milling and instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
XI.—The state of the technique of the thesis “Nixtamalización fraccionada de maiz y su influencia en las propiedades fisicoquimicas de harinas”. In this thesis an alternative process was designed for the elaboration of nixtamalized maize flours, through the nixtamalization hydration of the previously fractioned grain in conditions of no saturation of Ca(OH)¬2 and reduced volumes of water, for the purpose of obtaining flours with characteristics similar to traditional maize flours. The difference between the aforementioned thesis and the present invention lies in the nixtamalization method, since an extruder is used in the proposed invention being more efficient in the process of modification of the starches of the endosperms in less time and with greater energetic efficiency, always looking to control of the gelatinization temperature. In addition to the aforementioned, the present invention uses the process of milling and instant dehydration, these operations allow control over the cooking and in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
XII.—The state of the technique of the thesis “Efecto del proceso de nixtamalización sobre el contenido de carotenoides en diferentes hibridos de maiz”, in this work the maize was pulverized in a mill and subsequently mixed with food grade calcium hydroxide. Afterwards, distilled water was added to reach 28% percent humidity with a sprinkler. To later be stored at 4° C. for 12 hours. The next step was processing the material in a simple screw extruder with a screw of 19 mm of diameter and 38 cm of length at a feeding speed of 70 g/min. The resulting extrudates were cooled and dried at room temperature and in darkness for 16 hours to then be pulverized in a mill of simple screws to later be milled in another mill to yield particles inferior to 0.5 mm. The aforementioned work completely mills the maize grain to the be mixed with calcium hydroxide, which can lead to an incorrect nixtamalization being that the different parts of the grain (pericarp, endosperm, and germ) require different nixtamalization conditions to yield the suitable properties for flour. In the proposed invention the parts of the grain are given treatment to obtain a better consistency in the flours, a double screw extruder is used with a configuration that allows to control the cooking of the endosperms and the milling-instant dehydration is used to control the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
XIII The state of the technique of the article “Efecto de la xilanasa en el maiz nixtamalizado extruido harina y tortilla: caracteristicas reológicas y fisicoquimicas”. In this article the following process is described: White maize was cleaned in a vibrating cleaner, consequently the maize was milled in a mill with a mesh of 0.8 mm, later on the milled maize was mixed with 0.3% (p/p) of food grade lime in a mixer for five minutes. The xylanase that was previously deluded in deionized water, was immediately added to the mix to reach a final humidity content of 30%. Then the mixture was stored for 12 hours at 5° C. Before the extrusion, each mixture was tempered to 25° C. for four hours. The extrusion was carried out in a single screw extruder, with a screw diameter of 19 mm and a length-diameter relation of 25:1, a relation of nominal compression of 2:1, a die opening of 3 mm and four zones of heating and cooling. The velocity of the screw was 112 rpm, the temperature of the stages was 60, 70, 80 and 90° C. The extrudate was dried in a tunnel drier at 65° C. for an hour, then it was milled in a mill with a 0.8 mm mesh. Unlike the aforementioned article, the proposed invention does not use enzymes to give better properties to the flours and tortillas, by utilizing enzymes the process increases its operation costs. The difference lies in that the present invention separates the parts of the grain. In addition to the above, fibers are milled before they are passed through the extruder, in this manner the starches are modified and yield soft flours. The milling-instant dehydration is also utilized to allow for a better control over the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
XIV. The state of the technique of the thesis “Nixtamalización por extrusion de las fracciones del grano de maiz para la obtención de harinas instantaneas” which describes the following process: the grain was subjected to a soaking process for 17 minutes at a water temperature of 40° C., later on the water was eliminated through a runoff of 10 minutes, then they pass through a continuous dehuller at a velocity of 800 rpm. Consequently, the fractions were subjected to a separation process with a pneumatic equipment where the endosperm is separated and on the other side point germ and pericarp. Later, they were subjected to a vacuum oven at 60° C. for 12 hours. Then they were moved to a milling process in a hammer with 0.25 mm circular hole meshes. Consequently, a simple screw extruder was used, the velocity of the extruder was 50 rpm, which had three stages. The specifications of the equipment were an endless screw of 95° C., 6 cm of diameter and a compression relation of 1:1. The output of the extrudate was regulated by a circular matrix of 1.905 cm of diameter where the material was cut to pieces of 2-3 cm of length to facilitate the drying process. Then it was dried in trays at a temperature of 60° C. for 12 hours. After the drying of the sample, they were subjected to a fine milling with a micro pulverizer with a 0.25 mm mesh. If the process of the aforementioned thesis utilizes percentages greater than 15% of point germ and pericarp in the extruding stage, the tortillas do not yield good properties. This problem does not present itself in the proposed invention, since the fibers are milled before they are passed through the extruder and it also utilizes milling-instant dehydration to allow control in the flour-dough-tortilla efficiency.
XV.—The state of the technique of the patent application MX/a/2020/001704 which is composed of the of the following stages: Clean the grains, hydrate the grains, polish, dry fibers fractions, sift fibers fractions, mill, hydrate endosperms, degerm, mill with BCH roller mill and sift, nixtamalize, nixtamalize endosperms of uniform size, extrude, mix, mill and instantly dehydrate, cool, add milled germ and pericarp, sift, remill, and store. The aforementioned patent application considers two stages of polish-degerm, first of the grains and then of the endosperms, unlike the present invention where only one stage of polish-degerm is utilized and it's of the grain. In addition, in the present invention the pericarp and germ are milled and can be nixtamalized before the extrude stage together with the flours or sent to mix before the final sifting of the process. Additionally, the aforementioned patent application utilizes two separate nixtamalization processes for the different grain fractions, while the present invention utilizes only a single nixtamalization process for all the grain fractions, therefor the aforementioned application and the present invention are different.
The production process of nixtamalized maize flour, nixtamalizing the maize fractions together without producing nejayote, is carried out through the following stages: clean the grains (1), hydrate the grains (2), polish (3), dry fibers fractions (4), sift fibers fractions (5), mill pericarp and germ (6), nixtamalize (7), extrude (8), mill and instantly dehydrate (9), cool (10), add milled germ and pericarp (11), sift (12), remill (13), and store (14). This process does not produce nejayote nor alkaline solutions, hydrating only the fractions of endosperm, dark flours, milled pericarp and germ, with a calcium hydroxide solution. The novelty of this invention lies in the way the nixtamalization process takes place, which is the combination of the steps described as: g) nixtamalize, in which all the fractions of the maize grain (endosperms, dark flours, and milled pericarp and germ) are nixtamalized and h) extrude. Being that, in the stage of nixtamalize the endosperms, dark flours and milled pericarps and germ hydration of the starches is achieved in presence of food grade lime and, in the stage of extrude, the transformations of the abovementioned starches is completed, which results in properties such as the texture, aroma and flavor of the doughs and tortillas, similar to traditionally nixtamalized doughs.
The production process of nixtamalized maize flour, nixtamalizing the maize fractions together without generating nejayote is represented in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX/A/2020/001968 | Feb 2020 | MX | national |
