Method of bleaching cereal grain
AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorLloyd E. Metzger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention describes bleached grain products, such as bleached whole wheat flour, that are obtained having the color and taste of white flour by bleaching whole wheat kernels prior to conventional flour milling. The wheat kernels are treated with a peroxide solution to lighten the color of the bran layers. The bleached grain kernels can be tempered and milled into whole grain flours having 10% to 12% dietary fiber.
Claims24
A method of bleaching cereal grain, comprising the steps of:
- A. treating whole grain kernels having at least an exterior bran layer and an inner endosperm with peroxide to decrease the color of the bran layer, while minimizing exposure of the endosperm to the peroxide, to provide a lightened grain kernel;
- B. treating the whole grain kernels with an alkaline solution, wherein step B is practiced as a separate prior step;
- and
- wherein said method additionally comprises a drying step intermediate step B and step A.
A method of bleaching cereal grain, comprising the steps of:
- A. treating whole grain kernels having at least an exterior bran layer and an inner endosperm with peroxide to decrease the color of the bran layer, while minimizing exposure of the endosperm to the peroxide, to provide a lightened grain kernel;
- B. treating the whole grain kernels with an alkaline solution, wherein step B is practiced as a separate prior step;
- and
- wherein said method additionally comprises a washing step intermediate step B and step A.
A method of reducing mycotic contamination of cereal grain, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an alkaline solution and a peroxygen solution;
- (b) treating cereal grain kernels with the alkaline solution to provide grain kernels wetted with the alkaline solution;
- (c) draining the alkaline solution from the grain kernels;
- (d) drying the grain kernels wetted with the alkaline solution to provide dried alkaline treated grain kernels;
- and then
- (e) treating the grain kernels with the peroxygen solution to cause the alkaline solution and the peroxygen solution to chemically react on the surface of thc grain kernels, while minimizing exposure to internal portions of the grain kernels.
A method of bleaching cereal grain, comprising:
- treating whole grain kernels having at least an exterior bran layer and an inner endosperm with peroxide to decrease the color of the bran layer, while minimizing exposure of the endosperm to the peroxide, to provide a lightened grain kernel, wherein said treating includes:
- (a) providing an alkaline solution and a peroxygen solution;
- (b) treating the whole grain kernels with the alkaline solution to provide grain kernels wetted with the alkaline solution;
- (c) draining the alkaline solution from the whole grain kernels;
- (d) drying the whole grain kernels wetted with the alkaline solution to provide dried alkaline treated grain kernels;
- and then
- (e) treating the whole grain kernels with the peroxygen solution to cause the maline solution and the peroxygen solution to chemically react on the surface of the grain kernels;
- whereby mycotic contamination of the cereal grain kernels is reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.