Corn germ is a substantial byproduct of the wet milling and alcohol industry of corn. Corn germ (dry) contains 35–56 % oil, with linoleic acid (C18:2) being the predominant fatty acid (49–61.9 %) and the highest level of tocopherol and phytosterol amongst all vegetable oils, which is a cost-effective resource for healthy nutritious oil.
How is corn germ oil produced?
Currently, commercial corn germ oil is produced by pressing and/or hexane extraction (Moreau and Hicks 2005 ), in which oil is obtained from conditioned (heated) germs, followed by mechanically expelled (‘pre-pressed’) and then hexane extraction (Moreau 2011 ).
Is corn germ hard to process?
But because corn germ can be notoriously tough to process, it requires the right extraction equipment to press oil efficiently to get optimal returns. Here’s what you need to know about processing corn germ to capitalize on the commercial value of its oil. Whole corn kernels only contain a small amount of fat, around 5% by weight.
Can corn germs be milled before oil extraction?
Grinding oilseeds prior to oil extraction may enlarge the interface between material particles and aqueous solvent or enzyme, and then enhance free oil yield. In previous research, colloid milling was employed to mill corn germs (Dickey et al. 2010 ). In this study, a dry milling method was developed to grind corn germ.