Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series – Organic compounds – Fatty compounds having an acid moiety which contains the...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-15
2003-08-26
Carr, Deborah D. (Department: 1621)
Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series
Organic compounds
Fatty compounds having an acid moiety which contains the...
C424S070100, C426S622000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06610867
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for extracting oil from whole corn and the products that are derived from the extracted corn.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Corn,
Zea mays
L., is grown for many reasons including its use in food and industrial applications. Corn oil and corn meal are two of many useful products derived from corn.
Commercial processing plants utilizing conventional methods for extracting corn oil from normal yellow #2 corn separate the corn seed into its component parts, e.g., endosperm, germ, tipcap, and pericarp, and then extract corn oil from the corn germ fraction. Corn germ produced by wet or dry milling is processed either by pressing the germ to remove the oil or by flaking the germ and extracting the oil with a solvent. In both processes, because the germ was separated from the remainder of the kernel, many or all of the valuable components of the endosperm fraction are absent from the oil.
A corn-based feed product known as hominy feed is obtained from the dry milling process and is a mixture of corn bran, corn germ, and endosperm, and has a minimum of about 3% by weight oil. Several steps, including cracking, grinding, sieving, and blending are required to manufacture hominy feed and the resulting particle size of hominy feed is small relative to meal made by the extraction method described herein.
Industry and health advocates are continually in search of more nutritious products derived from corn, since products derived from normal yellow #2 corn lack some desired nutritional components. Thus, there exists a need for improved products derived from corn oil and corn meal. Additionally, there exists a need for new processes for processing the corn.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Finished products containing corn oil and/or corn meal obtained from corn processed by conventional wet and dry milling include, for example, cooking oil, animal feed, paper and paper products, numerous food products such as salad dressings, extruded and/or puffed snack foods, products containing corn sweeteners, cereals, chips, puddings, candies, and breads.
One aspect of the invention involves an optional process applicable to corn having an oil content from about 3% by weight to about 30% by weight. The process may include tempering whole corn to a specific moisture and temperature level followed by cracking the grain. The process breaks the whole kernel corn into smaller pieces. The cracked corn is then conditioned before being subjected to an extraction process. The conditioning step may include applying steam or indirect heat. The cracked corn is heated to a minimum of about 20° C. and a maximum of about 110° C. prior to the extraction process. Conditioning makes the corn more pliable, helping to release the oil bodies during the extraction step. After conditioning, the cracked corn is fed to the extractor for, for example, solvent extraction. The extraction process can be that of existing methods for multiseed and soybean oil extraction operations. In one embodiment of the present invention, the process of the present invention reduces the number of steps in processing corn, e.g., by eliminating the flaking step. Further, the process of the present invention reduces the amount of “fines” by eliminating the flaking step.
One aspect of the invention provides a nutritious animal feed comprising the corn meal remaining after extraction of oil from corn having an oil content of about 3% by weight to about 30% by weight. The animal feed can comprise other nutritious products such as vitamins, minerals, seed-derived meal, meat and bone meal, salt, amino acids, feather meal, and many others used in the art of feed supplementation. The animal feed composition can be tailored for particular uses such as for poultry feed, swine feed, cattle feed, equine feed, aquaculture feed, pet food and can be tailored to animal growth phases. Particular embodiments of the animal feed include growing broiler feed, swine finishing feed, and poultry layer finishing feed. Feed products can be made with the extracted corn meal that will have a higher relative percentage of protein and similar relative percentage of oil than similar products made with corn produced by conventional wet or dry milling processes.
Some embodiments of the invention include those wherein: 1) the extracted corn meal has a fiber content of about 3%, a starch content of about 65%, and a protein content of about 10%, at a moisture content of about 10%; 2) the corn grain has a total oil content of between at least about 3% by weight and about 30% by weight; 3) the corn grain has been subjected to an oil extraction process such as solvent extraction, hydraulic pressing, or expeller pressing, aqueous and enzyme extraction; 4) the corn grain has a total protein content of at least about 7% by weight, at least about 9% by weight, at least about 11% by weight, or from about 7% by weight to about 20% by weight; 5) the corn grain has a total lysine content of at least about 0.15% by weight, at least about 0.5% by weight, or from about 0.15% by weight to about 2.0% by weight; and/or 6) the corn grain has a total tryptophan content of at least about 0.03% by weight, at least about 0.20% by weight, or from about 0.03% by weight to about 2.0% by weight.
In one embodiment, the method of processing corn includes a cracking step before conditioning the corn. Cracking the corn breaks the cell structure of the corn and enhances the extractability of the oil. In addition, cracking the corn increases the available surface area for extraction. The extraction step exposes the cracked corn grain to solvent-based oil extractions. Solvents used to extract miscible or soluble substances from the cracked grain include hexane, n-hexane, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol and supercritical carbon dioxide. The method of processing corn is preferably accomplished without flaking the corn.
A preferred embodiment provides a method of obtaining corn oil and solvent extracted corn meal (SEC) from normal yellow #2 corn and from high oil corn. The method provides steps of: 1) optionally tempering the corn; 2) cracking the tempered corn in a manner to reduce the production of “fines”; 3) conditioning the cracked corn; 4) extracting the cracked corn; and 5) removing the solvent from both the corn oil and solvent extracted corn meal. The method provides a greater overall content of corn oil in the corn meal as compared to meal produced by the method set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,328 (incorporated herein by reference) and concentrates the proteins in the meal. Moreover, solvent extractable pigments can be removed from the SEC.
Another aspect of the invention provides a corn oil-based product comprising corn oil obtained by extraction of at least the endosperm and germ of the corn. The corn oil-based product can comprise other components such as vinegar, spices, vitamins, salt, hydrogen (for forming hydrogenated products), and water. The corn oil used in the products of the invention will generally contain a higher proportion of &bgr;-carotene or tocotrienol than similar products made with corn oil extracted from corn employing conventional methods. The corn oil, used in the products of the invention, is generally produced by exposing the entire corn grain or the cracked corn grain to extraction without separation of the germ from the endosperm. Therefore, the solvent-extractable nutrients present in the endosperm are extracted into the corn oil that has been extracted from the germ and endosperm. Products that can be made with the oil prepared as described herein include, but are not limited to, salad dressings, cooking oils, margarines, spray-coated food or feed products, breads, crackers, snack foods, lubricants, and fuels.
Other embodiments of the invention include those wherein: 1) corn grain is cracked, conditioned and extracted with a solvent; 2) the corn grain has a total oil content of between about 3% by weight and about 30% by weight; 3) the corn oil is extracted by subjecting cracked corn grain to a solvent-based ex
Adu-Peasah Patrick
Amore Francis
Beaver Michael J.
Fox Eugene J.
Ingvalson Joel
Carr Deborah D.
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Renessen LLC
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