Comparison between alkali and conventional corn wet-milling: 100-g procedures

A corn wet-milling process in which alkali was used was studied as an alternative to the conventional corn wet-milling procedure. In the alkali wet-milling process, corn was soaked in 2% NaOH at 85°C for 5 min and then debranned mechanically to obtain pericarp as a coproduct. Debranned corn was cracked in a roller mill, and the cracked corn was steeped with agitation for 1 hr in 0.5% NaOH at 45°C. The cracked and steeped corn was then processed to separate germ, fiber, and gluten by steps similar to those in conventional wet-milling. Alkali wet-milling yielded soakwater solids, pericarp, germ, starch, gluten, and free fiber. The protein content of the starch and the starch content of the fiber from the alkali process were lower than those from the conventional process.