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.
How is corn oil made?
The germs, containing about 85 percent of corn’s oil, are pumped onto screens and washed repeatedly to remove any starch left in the mixture. A combination of mechanical and solvent processes extracts the oil from the germ. The oil is then refined and filtered into finished corn oil.