Deffated corn germ is a subproduct in the production of raw or precooked corn flour and of corn oil. This subproduct is used only in the production of animal feed because it is a heterogeneous material with a lot of bran. The principal obstacle for direct use of deffated corn germ in the formulation of foods is the presence of fragments of hull fiber. These fragments modifies the sensorial and functional characteristics of the product. In order to avoid this problem, the deffated corn germ was processed to eliminate the fragments of fiber and to increase the protein concentration. The extractable material (ME) high in oil and the industrial deffated corn germ were fractionated by separation with sieves, aspiration, and milling. The yield of the deffated fractions of corn germ flour in the laboratory (GD1) and at the industrial level (GD2) were 44.70% and 78.02% respectively. Fiber content was reduced by 18.45% and 41.61% and protein content was increased by 7.40% and 19.56% respectively. Protein quality determined as PER (protein efficient ratio) increased from 2.57 to 2.84. Protein efficient ratio was 16 times higher than that of endosperm corn flour (PER 0.16). Apparent digestibility of both fractions were higher than 86%. Results suggests that fractioning is a simple technology that could improve the protein quality of germ as well as its color, index of solubility and water absortion.
corn germ; fractioning; extractable material
