CN1454056A - Products comprising corn oil and corn meal obtained from high oil corn - Google Patents

Abstract

Useful products contain corn oil and corn meal from high oil corn. Corn oil is extracted from high-oil corn to make cornmeal. Since most or all of the corn kernel, not just the germ, is used in the extraction process, this corn oil often contains levels of nutrients not found in commercially available corn oils. Such corn kernels generally include the steps of flaking corn kernels having a total oil content of at least about 8 percent and extracting corn oil from the flaked corn kernels. This corn oil has uses in the manufacture of nutritionally fortified edible or cooking oils, lubricants, biodiesel, fuel, cosmetics, and oil-based or oil-containing chemical products. This extracted corn meal has utility in the manufacture of improved animal feed foods, snacks, mixed food products, cosmetics and fermented broth additives.

Description

Products containing corn oil and corn meal from high oil corn

This continuation-in-part application claims priority to co-pending US Patent Application Serial No. 09/249,280, filed February 11, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present invention relates to oil and meal products derived from pressed high oil corn.

Maize, Zea Mays L., is grown for many reasons, including its use in food and industry. Corn oil and corn flour are two of the useful products derived from corn.

Commercial refiners that extract corn oil from conventional corn by conventional methods separate the corn seed into its constituent parts, such as endosperm, germ, tipcap, and epidermis, and then extract corn oil from the corn germ fraction. Corn germ produced by wet or dry milling is either produced by pressing the germ to remove the oil or by flaking the germ and extracting the oil with a solvent. In both methods, since the germ is separated from the remainder of the corn kernel, most or all of the valuable components of the endosperm portion are absent from the oil.

Corn-based feed rations known as corn forage are obtained by dry milling and are a mixture of corn bran, corn germ and endosperm with a minimum of 4% oil. The manufacture of corn feed requires steps including crushing, grinding, sieving and blending, resulting in a smaller particle size than the product produced by the extraction process described herein.

Since products made with conventional corn lack certain essential nutrients, industry and health advocates have been searching for more nutritious corn-derived products. Accordingly, there is a need for improved products from corn oil and corn flour.

Summary of the invention

End products from conventional corn containing corn oil and/or corn flour include, for example, cooking oils, animal feed, paper and paper products, various food products such as salad dressings, pressed and/or puffed snacks, products containing corn syrup , cereals, flakes, puddings, sweets and bread.

In one aspect of the invention there is provided a nutritious animal feed comprising cornmeal remaining after extraction of oil from high oil corn. The animal feed may also contain other nutritional ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, oilseed derived meal, meat and bone meal, salt, amino acids, feather meal and many others used in the field of feed supplements. The animal feed composition can be used for special purposes, such as poultry feed, pig feed, cattle feed, horse feed, aquaculture feed, pet food, and can be used for the growth stage of the animal. Particular embodiments of animal feeds include growing chicken feeds, finishing feeds for pigs and finishing feeds for poultry laying eggs. Feed rations can be made from oil-extracted corn flour, which contains a relatively higher proportion of protein and a relatively lower proportion of oil than similar products made from conventional corn.

Some embodiments of the invention include: 1) cornmeal having a fiber content of about 3%, a starch content of about 65%, a protein content of about 12%, and a moisture content of about 10%; 2) the total oil content of high oil corn kernels at least about 8% wt.; at least about 14% wt.; at least about 12% wt.; at least about 10% wt.; or from about 8% to about 30% wt.; Flake corn kernels are whole corn kernels or broken corn kernels; 4) corn kernels are used in oil extraction processes such as solvent extraction, hydraulic or screw pressing, aqueous solution and enzyme extraction; 5) high oil corn kernels Total protein content of at least about 7% wt., at least about 9% wt., at least about 11% wt., or from about 7% to about 20% wt.; 6) total lysine in high oil corn kernels at least about 0.15% wt., at least about 0.5% wt., or from about 0.25% to about 2.0% wt.; and/or 7) high oil corn kernels have a total tryptophan content of at least about 0.03% wt. ., at least about 0.20% wt., or from about 0.03% to about 2.0% wt.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a corn oil based product comprising at least corn oil extracted from the endosperm and germ of high oil corn. This corn oil-based product may contain other ingredients such as vinegar, spices, vitamins, salt, hydrogen to form hydrogenated products, and water. The corn oil used in the products of the present invention generally contains a higher proportion of beta-carotene, lutein or tocotrienols than products obtained from corn oil extracted from conventional corn by conventional methods. The corn oil used in the products of the present invention is generally obtained by extracting whole corn kernels, cracked corn kernels or flaked corn kernels without separating the germ from the endosperm. Thus, the solvent-extractable nutrients in the endosperm are extracted into the corn oil extracted from the germ and endosperm. Products that can be made from oils prepared by the methods described herein include, but are not limited to, salad dressings, cooking oils, margarines, food or feed sprays, bread, pancakes, snacks, lubricants, and fuel.

Other embodiments of the invention include: 1) the high oil corn kernels are cracked, wetted, flaked and solvent extracted; 2) the high oil corn kernels have a total oil content of at least about 8% wt.; at least about 14 % wt.; at least about 12% wt.; at least about 10% wt.; or from about 8% to about 30% wt.; 3) corn oil is extracted by pressing crushed corn; 4) corn Oil is extracted by subjecting flaked corn kernels to a solvent-based extraction process; 5) Solvents used to extract miscible or soluble materials from flaked kernels include any form of commercially available alkanes, isopropanol, ethanol, supercritical carbon dioxide, or mixtures thereof; 6) the extracted oil is given as a mixture of oil and solvent; 7) corn oil is refined by other methods; and 8) corn oil is obtained by pressing The flaked kernels are extracted by hydraulic and/or screw pressing, aqueous and/or enzymatic extraction.

A third aspect of the invention provides a method of using expressed corn meal in an animal feed food product comprising: 1) flaking at least high oil corn to produce flaked corn and extracting the flaked corn to remove a portion of the corn oil, thereby providing an oil-extracted corn meal; and 2) using the oil-extracted corn meal in animal feed foods.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method of using extracted corn oil in food, comprising: 1) flaking at least high oil corn to produce flaked corn, extracting the flaked corn to remove a portion of the corn oil and forming extracted corn oil, thereby providing extracted corn oil; and 2) using the extracted corn oil in food products.

A fifth aspect of the invention provides a method of using extracted corn oil as a feedstock in an oil refining process. The process comprises the steps of: 1) flaking at least high oil corn to produce flaked corn, extracting the flaked corn to remove a portion of the corn oil and form extracted crude corn oil, thereby providing extracted crude corn oil making corn oil; and 2) using the extracted crude corn oil as a feedstream to an oil refining process.

A sixth aspect of the present invention provides various methods of making an oil-expressed mash. A first embodiment of this aspect provides a method of making an expressed mixed meal, including an expressed meal obtained from high oil corn and meal of one or more oilseeds. The method includes the steps of: 1) combining high oil corn kernels and one or more other oilseed particles to form a pellet mixture; and 2) flaking the pellet mixture and using an extraction process to remove the oil and form an pressed Oily powder mix. A second embodiment provides a method comprising the steps of: 1) combining cracked and moistened high oil corn and cracked and moistened other oilseeds to form a wetted mixture; 2) combining the wetted mixture flaking to form a flake mixture; and 3) subjecting the flake mixture to an extraction process to remove oil therefrom and form an oil-pressed blend. A third embodiment provides a method comprising the steps of: 1) combining cracked, wetted and flaked high oil corn and cracked, wetted and flaked other oilseeds to form flakes blend; and 2) subjecting the flake blend to an extraction process to remove oil from it and form an oil-pressed blend. A fourth embodiment provides a method comprising the step of combining expressed corn flour and one or more other oilseed flours to form a blended meal, wherein the expressed corn flour is obtained by At least that obtained by flaking high-oil corn and extracting it to form pressed corn meal. A fifth embodiment provides a blended expressed meal product made by any of the methods described above.

A seventh method of the present invention provides a method of using extracted corn oil as an ingredient for cosmetic applications. The process comprises the steps of: 1) flaking at least high oil corn to produce flaked corn, extracting the flaked corn to remove a portion of the corn oil and form extracted crude corn oil, thereby providing extracted crude corn oil making corn oil; and 2) using the extracted crude corn oil for cosmetics. These cosmetics include, but are not limited to, lipsticks and eyeliners.

Another aspect of the present invention provides the use of corn flour obtained after extraction of corn oil from whole kernels of high oil corn for animal feed or human food.

Another aspect of the present invention provides the use of corn oil in animal feed or human food, wherein the corn oil is obtained by extracting whole kernels of high oil corn.

Another aspect of the invention provides corn oil-containing and/or corn flour-containing products produced by the methods described herein.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms and abbreviations used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the following suitable methods and materials are not intended to limit the invention described herein by such methods and materials. All patent applications and statutory analytical methods mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the exemplified embodiments of the invention and from the claims.

Detailed description of the invention

It is known that corn oil can be rapidly and efficiently extracted from oily corn kernels on an industrial scale by optionally crushing, rewetting and flaking the kernels, and extracting the corn oil. Corn kernels effective to the new flaking treatment had a total oil content of greater than about 8%. Increased oil content in corn kernels can increase the efficiency of flaking during processing. Suitable tabletting apparatus and methods include those conventionally used for tabletting soybeans and other similar oilseeds. Suitable extraction devices and methods include those conventionally used to extract oil from soybean flakes and other similar oilseed species.

High oil corn seeds or "pellets" obtained from any number of different types of corn plants are useful in the present invention. Such maize plants may be hybrids, selfed, transgenic plants, genetically modified plants or plants of a specific population. An improved extracted meal can be produced by using the improved high oil corn in the extraction process described herein. Useful types of kernels include, for example, hard corn, popcorn, flour corn, dent corn, white corn, and sweet corn. High oil corn kernels can be in any form, including whole corn, cracked corn, or other processed corn or parts thereof, which can be flaked but differ from those used in dry and wet milling methods Standard germ separation methods for subsequent recovery of oil from the germ.

As used herein, the terms "whole kernel" or "whole corn" refer to kernels that have not been separated into their individual components (eg, husk, endosperm, terminal germ, pericarp, and germ), and the kernels have not been purposely separated from one another. Whole corn may or may not be ground, crushed, cracked, flaked or ground. Purposeful separation of one corn component from other components does not include random segregation that may occur during storage, handling, transport, crushing, flaking, breaking, grinding, or grinding. Purposeful separation of component parts means at least 50% separation of one component (eg, germ) from the other components.

As used herein the term "high oil corn" means corn kernels containing at least about 8% by weight oil. High oil corn has an increased oil content compared to conventional yellow dent corn which has an oil content of about 3%-5%wt. Additionally, the total oil content of corn kernels suitable for the present invention can be, for example, at least about 9%, at least about 11%, at least about 12%, at least about 15%, at least about 18%, at least About 20%, from about 8% to about 20% oil, from about 10% to about 30% oil, or from about 14% to about 30% oil and particles within these ranges. Although oil content can be determined at any moisture content, it should be normalized to the oil content at approximately 15.5% moisture.

High oil corn useful for making oil and meal as described here is available from Cargill, Inc. (Minneapolis, Minnesota) or Pfister Hybrid corn (El Paso, Texas). Other suitable high oil corns include the varieties of corn known as Illinois High Oil Corn (IHO) and Alexandria High Oil Corn (Alexo), available from the Unirersity of Illinois Maize Cooperative Stock Center ( Champaigne-Urbana, IL) obtained their samples.

Corn kernels with increased total oil content can be identified by any of a number of methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The American Oil and Chemical Society Official Method, Fifth Edition, March 1998, ("AOCS Method") Ba 3-38 can be used to identify the oil content of corn kernels, including the fat content of corn flour extracted from corn kernels. AOCS method BA3-38 quantifies the substances extracted with petroleum ether under the test conditions. Oil content or oil concentration is the weight percent of the total weight of the oil and seed sample. Oil content can be normalized and recorded at any desired moisture condition.

Other suitable methods for identifying high oil corn kernels are described herein. According to one of these methods, ears of corn are sorted with near infrared (NIR) oil monitors to select ears of corn containing corn kernels with increased oil content. Likewise, NIR monitors can also be used to select individual kernels with elevated corn oil levels. However, selection of ears and/or kernels with increased oil content using the methods described herein is not effective in identifying high oil kernels suitable for processing. Typically, corn seed that will produce a corn plant that produces corn kernels having an increased total oil content is planted and harvested using known cultivation methods. Methods for developing maize self-bred, hybrid, transgenic varieties and populations that produce maize plants capable of producing corn kernels with increased oil content are known and described in (Lambert, 1994. In: Specialty Corns ed. A.R. Hallauer, High Oil Corn Hybrids, pp. 123-145, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA).

A suitable high oil corn used as a feedstock in the present invention to prepare corn oil and corn meal has the nutritional properties shown in Table 1. Values are expressed as "as-is" or "as-fed" moisture levels. Protein, oil and starch levels vary among the many possible high oil corn combinations used in this invention as meal and oil feedstock. Table 1 lists acceptable amounts of moisture, oil, protein, starch, lysine, and tryptophan. However, other compositions not shown as indicated amounts in the table, such as 12% protein and 12% oil, are also within the scope of corn kernels that can be used to make the oils and meals used in the present invention.

Table 1. Exemplary Amounts and Typical Characteristics of High Oil Corn Used to Make Corn Oil and Corn Meal for Use in the Invention Element Content1(%) Content 2(%) Content 3(%) General content (%) moisture 14 14 14 5-45 Oil 8 12 20 8-30 protein 9 9 17 5-20 starch 61 54 41 35-80 Lysine 0.35 0.50 1.0 0.15-2.0 Tryptophan 0.088 0.11 0.15 0.03-2.0

Other high oil corn kernels suitable for use as feedstock to make the corn oil and corn meal used in the present invention have the nutritional characteristics shown in Table 2. Values are expressed as "as-is" or "as-fed" moisture levels. The values shown in Table 2 are based on corn kernels containing 12% oil and 9% protein as an example.

Table 2. Element content(%) General content (%) moisture 14 5-45 Oil 12 8-30 protein 9 5-20 starch 65 35-80 fiber 3 1-5 Ash 1.18 0.59-4.72 Lysine 0.33 0.2-2.0 Tryptophan 0.09 0.03-2.0 Methionine 0.25 0.13-1.00 total sulfur amino acids 0.46 0.23-1.84 Valine 0.45 0.23-1.80 Isoleucine 0.34 0.17-1.36 arginine 0.45 0.23-1.80 threonine 0.34 0.17-1.36 Leucine 1.03 0.52-4.12 Histidine 0.27 0.14-1.08 Phenylalanine 0.44 0.22-1.76 Alanine 0.70 0.35-2.80 aspartic acid 0.74 0.37-2.96 cysteine 0.22 0.11-0.88 glutamic acid 1.9 0.95-7.6 Glycine 0.46 0.23-1.84 proline 0.86 0.43-3.44 Tyrosine 0.06 0.03-0.54 serine 0.46 0.23-1.84

Table 3 shows the amino acid levels of two samples of high oil corn kernels and common yellow kernels. The oil and protein levels of high oil corn sample 1 (HOC 1 ) were 13.3% and 10.7%, respectively, expressed on a dry matter basis. Oil and protein levels for high oil corn sample 2 (HOC 2) were 13.0% and 11.2%, respectively, expressed on a dry matter basis. For comparison, common yellow corn kernels contain about 4.2% oil and about 9.2% protein on a dry matter basis.

Table 3. Amino acid profiles of two samples of high oil corn kernels, HOC 1 and HOC 2, and common yellow kernels, levels expressed based on kernels with approximately 10% moisture content. amino acid HOC 1(%) HOC 2(%) Yellow corn (%) aspartic acid 0.71 0.68 0.48 threonine 0.33 0.30 0.19 serine 0.37 0.27 0.19 glutamic acid 1.84 1.79 1.16 proline 0.83 0.78 0.52 Glycine 0.40 0.42 0.24 Alanine 0.77 0.74 0.47 Valine 0.51 0.52 0.33 cystine 0.21 0.23 0.16 Methionine 0.46 0.47 0.39 Isoleucine 0.30 0.30 0.20 Leucine 1.19 1.08 0.74 Tyrosine 0.11 0.11 0.06 Phenylalanine 0.52 0.48 0.32 Tryptophan 0.06 0.07 0.05 Lysine 0.34 0.38 0.21 Histidine 0.29 0.29 0.18 arginine 0.45 0.48 0.28

High oil corn is typically used in the oil extraction process described herein to provide the enhanced corn oil and corn meal contained in the final product of the present invention. The term "final product" or "product" as used herein refers to a product in which the corn oil and/or corn flour of the present invention is mixed with other ingredients. The specific ingredients contained in the product will be determined by the end use of the product. Exemplary products include animal feed, chemically modified raw materials, biodegradable plastics, mixed food products, edible oils, cooking oils, lubricants, biodiesel, snacks, cosmetics, and raw materials for fermentation processes. Products include the food products described here, but also grown-up and part-grown pigs, poultry and cattle feed, pet food, and human food such as extruded snacks, bread and as food binders, aquaculture feed, fermentable mixtures , food additives, sports drinks, nutritional food bars, multivitamin supplements, food beverages and cereals.

For example, starting with one type of corn (12% oil and 9% protein) can produce various types of food that can meet certain nutritional needs. The importance of this adaptation lies in the nutrient density in the feed ration and the dietary requirements of the animal. One advantage of using this type of high oil corn and extraction method is that the extracted corn meal can be made to have a specific oil content depending on the degree of oil extraction. Once the oil is removed from the flakes, the remaining meal contains a nutrient concentration of protein, amino acids, and other nutrients that have not been removed by processing that is greater than or different than that of regular corn kernels and greater than that of the starting corn, e.g., 12% of oil and 9% protein.

According to one of the extraction methods described here used in the manufacture of corn oil and cornmeal, whole high oil corn is typically cracked and then remoistened and flaked. After flaking, the flaked corn was pressed for oil as described here.

Whole kernels are passed through two rollers with corrugated teeth rotating in opposite directions with a certain amount of porosity, and/or through a grinder (in which a rotating toothed disc rotates at an adjustable distance from a fixed disc) , and/or using a hammer mill (in which two rotating metal "hammer" like devices are rotated one after the other so that high oil corn can be broken. Methods for breaking corn or high oil corn kernels are described in (Watson, S.A. & P .E.Ramstad, ed., 1987, in Corn: Chemistry and Technology, Chapter 11, American Association of Cereal Chemist Company, St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.), which is hereby incorporated for reference. Broken corn is processed The above crushed and processed corn.

Whether or not the corn is broken, it can be moistened by methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art or as described herein. The term "wetting" as used herein refers to the process by which corn kernels are softened or plasticized to make them easier to slice and extract. Wetting may include adding steam (saturated and/or unsaturated) and/or water to crack the high oil corn. This is done using a rotary adjuster. Increase the temperature and moisture level. The temperature ranges from about 140°F to 210°F, with a moisture increase of about 1% or about 15%.

The high oil corn kernels are then pressed into various useful sizes. As used herein, the term "flaking" refers to a process in which corn kernels are passed one or more times through a flaking roller to produce flakes. The flaked corn has a final thickness of about 5/1000-50/1000th of an inch or about 0.12mm-1.0mm or about 0.01 inch (0.25mm), although other thicknesses may be used. Useful flake thicknesses can depend on external limiting parameters such as the oil content of the corn, the moisture content, the type of corn (eg, dent corn or hard corn), and the type of oil press. Suitable methods for flaking high oil corn are detailed here and in D.R. Erickson, Practical Handbook of Soybean Processing Utilization (1995, AOCS Press), which is hereby incorporated by reference. Suitable flaking methods also include those known to those of ordinary skill in the art of oilseed processing.

After the corn is crushed and/or moistened and flaked, the flaked corn is used in an oil extraction process to extract the oil to form oil extracted corn meal (ECM). Corn oil is extracted from the flaked pellets by one or more extraction steps by any extraction method. Usually, all or nearly all of the oil is extracted in one oil extraction process. Useful oil expression methods include solvent extraction, hydraulic pressing, screw pressing, aqueous and/or enzymatic extraction, and the like. Useful solvents for solvent extraction include, for example, all forms of commercially available hexane, isopropanol, ethanol, supercritical carbon dioxide, combinations thereof, or other similar solvents. For example, corn oil can be extracted from flaked particles with a hexane-based solvent extractor. Solvent extractors include percolation and maceration types of extractors.

Material removed from solvent-based extractors included wet flakes and miscellaneous oils. Trash oil is a mixture of raised oils and solvents. Wet flakes are what remains after partial or complete extraction of solvent-soluble material. Wet flakes also contain a certain amount of solvent. Solvent recovery from miscellaneous oils and wet flakes by methods such as thin film evaporation or drying with elevated temperatures using equipment such as flash tanks and/or desolventizers/ovens. For example, wet flakes or miscellaneous oils are heated at atmospheric pressure, high pressure or vacuum to evaporate the solvent. The evaporated solvent is then condensed in a separate recovery system.

Trash oil after solvent removal is crude oil, which can be stored and/or further processed. Crude oils can be refined into final oil products. Methods of refining crude oils to obtain finished oils are known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Hui (1996) provides a detailed review of oils and oilseeds (Hui, Y.H. ed., 1996, in Bailey's Industrial Oil and Fat Products, Fifth Edition, Vol. II: Edible Oil and Fat Products: Oils and Oilseeds. John Wiley and Sons, New York). Chapter 3 of Hui (1996, pp. 125-158; hereby incorporated by reference) specifically describes the composition and processing of corn oil. The crude oil isolated by pelleting as described here is of high quality but can be further purified by conventional oil refining if desired.

Corn endosperm includes valuable components such as carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin. The carotenoids in the granules are divided into two groups, carotene and xanthools. Carotene is important because they are precursors of vitamin A. Blessin et al., 1963 (Cereal Chem.1963.40: 582-586) found that more than 90% of carotenoids, mainly β-carotene, exist in the endosperm of yellow molar maize, while less than 5% exist in Germ. Vitamin A is mainly derived from β-carotene.

Another valuable component of endosperm includes tocotrienols. Grams et al., 1970, found that in maize, tocotrienols were only found in the endosperm, while the germ contained most of the tocopherols. Tocotrienols can be extracted from plant materials using various solvents. Methods for the recovery of tocotrienols from plant material are described by Lane et al. in US Patent No. 5,908,940, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

One embodiment of the present invention provides an extracted corn oil that is higher in lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene than commercially available crude corn oil obtained from conventional yellow #2 dent corn Oil. Conventional crude oils can be obtained from suppliers such as Cargill Corporation (Minneapolis, MN). For example, corn oil produced according to Example 1 contained the following components, the contents of which were compared with commercially available crude oil. sample Lutein (mg/g) Zeaxanthin (mg/g) β-Carotene (IU/100g) commercial crude corn oil 0.005 0.005 15.5 Oil sample 1 0.04 0.012 72.3 Oil sample 2 0.330 0.112 302

Accordingly, the methods described herein provide a nutritionally enhanced corn oil enriched in lutein, zeaxanthin, and/or beta-carotene, and optionally one or more other nutritional components.

Oil-based products made with corn oil obtained by the extraction methods described herein contain higher amounts of important nutrients than similar products made with conventionally prepared corn oil. Corn oil obtained by the extraction methods described herein includes corn oil obtained from the germ and endosperm and one or more other components extracted from the remainder of the kernel. The one or more other components herein may be oil from endosperm, tocotrienols, tocopherols, carotenoids, carotene, xanthools and sterols.

Tocopherol (vitamin E) and vitamin A are antioxidants and are fat-soluble vitamins. They all have health benefits when included in the diet. It is considered within the scope of the present invention to mix the oils of the present invention with other oils or substances to obtain suitable levels of beta-carotene, vitamin E and tocotrienols. In some embodiments, the extracted corn oil produced as described herein contains from about 0.1% wt to about 0.5% wt tocopherol.

Oils are described that contain about 200% to 300% more tocotrienols than conventionally produced crude corn oil. Corn oil is extracted by crushing and/or moistening and/or flaking and extraction of high oil corn and analyzed for tocotrienol content. The actual maximum and minimum levels of tocotrienol will depend on the particular high oil corn used.

The Oxidative Stability Index (OSI), measured in hours, is a measure of the relative stability of an oil to oxidation. In general, the greater the OSI, the less susceptible the oil is to oxidation and the longer it takes to oxidize the oil under test or use conditions. Also, the higher the unsaturated fatty acid content of the oil, the lower the OSI. Exemplary oils made using the extraction methods described herein typically have OSI values between about 10-22 hours.

Blessin (Cereal Chem. 1962. 39:236-242; incorporated by reference in its entirety) describes in detail methods for extracting carotene and zeaxanthin, as well as other pigments. Carotene and zeaxanthin can be extracted from corn using a combination of solvents (mainly ethanol and hexane). The oils of the present invention can be produced on an industrial scale using ethanol, hexane, combinations of other solvents, and solvents in which they are prepared in certain proportions.

Exemplary embodiments of crude oils obtained using the extraction methods described herein generally possess the following partial compositional characteristics. Element Exemplary extracted high oil corn Extracted High Oil Corn (Range) FFA (%) C16: 0C18: 0C18: 1. cis C18: 1. trans C18: 2. cis C18: 2. trans C18: 3 total trans free fatty acids 1.4511.42.133500.8 0.7-3.0010-141.5-3.526-5042-600.6-1.6 Phosphorus (ppm) 190 100-400 Total Tocopherols (ppm) 0.13 0.1-.50

Fatty acids typically found in corn oil typically include palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids.

Crude oils produced by the methods described herein may be partially or fully hydrogenated. Suitable methods for partial or complete hydrogenation of oils are described in D.R. Erickson, Practice Handbood of Soybean Processing utilization (1995, AOCS Press), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

When oil-based products are manufactured in accordance with the present invention, those products may contain conventional corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, olive oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, antioxidants, flavorings, hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils and / or animal fat. Blended oil products can be prepared by blending the corn oil herein with one or more other oils. Corn oil-based products may also contain food additives such as salt, fat, food coloring, beta-carotene, annatto extract, curcumin or tumeric, beta-apo-6'-carotene and its methyl and ethyl esters, natural or synthetic flavoring agents, antioxidants, propyl gallate, butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole, natural or synthetic tocopherols, ascorbyl palmitate, hard ascorbyl Fatty acid ester, dilauryl thiodipropionate, antioxidant synergist, citric acid, sodium citrate, isopropyl citrate, phosphoric acid, glycerol monocitrate, antifoaming agent, dimethyl poly Siloxanes, crystallization inhibitors, stearyl oxide, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, sugars, herbs, spices, acidity regulators, curing agents, enzyme preparations, flour treatment agents, viscosity control agents, enzymes, Lipids and/or vegetable or animal proteins. Additionally, these edible products can be fortified or enriched with protein supplements containing available protein. Exemplary food products such as breakfast cereals may contain powders such as the present invention, wheat and oat flour, sugar, salt, corn syrup, corn flour, fruit juice concentrate, vitamin C, B vitamins, folic acid, baking soda and flavoring components such as agents.

Other exemplary oil-based products may contain the oils prepared herein, including food oils, cooking oils, edible oils, and blended oils.

Equipment for extracting oil from oilseeds such as soybean and canola can be used to make the corn oil and oil-extracted corn meal described herein. Efficient tabletting machines for oilseeds on an industrial scale are available from French Oi1 Mill Machinery, Pink, Ohio, USA 45456-0920; Roskamp Champion, Waterloo, Iowa; Buhler, based in Switzerland, at Offices in Plymouth, Minnesota, USA; Bauermeister, Germany; and Consolidated Process Machinery Roskamp, World Wide Web at http://www.cpmroskamp.com and obtained from Crown Iron Works, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Industrial scale processes and equipment are sufficient to extract corn oil from at least about 1 ton of corn per day. In some embodiments, industrial scale operations have a capacity of about 100 tons of corn to about 3000 tons of corn per day, or about 700-1700 tons of corn per day. An industrial scale operation is also adequate to process about 3000 tons or more of corn per day.

The quality of corn oil or corn flour can be determined by evaluating one or more quality parameters such as oil yield, phosphorus content, percent free fatty acid, percent neutral starch, protein content, and moisture content. Any method can be used to calculate one or more quality parameters to evaluate the quality of the oil or meal.

The phosphorus content of crude oil can be identified by AOCS method Ca 12-55. The AOCS method Ca 12-55 identifies phosphorus or the equivalent of phosphorus zinc oxide, and then uses spectrophotometry to measure the phosphorus that forms the blue phosphomolybdic acid complex. AOCS method Ca12-55 is applicable to crude, degummed and refined vegetable oils. Multiply the phosphorus content by 30 to convert it into phospholipid content, that is, gum content. In some embodiments, corn oil produced according to the present invention contains about 100-400 ppm phosphorus.

The percentage of free fatty acids in the oil can be identified using the AOCS method Ca 5a-40. AOCS method Ca 5a-40 for identification of free fatty acids present in oil samples. AOCS method Ca 5a-40 is applicable to all crude and refined vegetable oils, mineral oils and animal fats. Adding together the percent gum and the percent free fatty acid gives the neutral oil lost during processing. The amount of free fatty acids in the extracted corn oil depends on the amount of fatty acids present in the high oil corn used for oil extraction. In some embodiments, the content of free fatty acids in the extracted oil is between about 0.70% and 3.00% wt.

The color of the oil can be determined by AOCS method Cc 13b-45. AOCS method Cc 13b-45 allows the determination of the color of an oil sample by comparing the oil sample to known color characteristics. AOCS method Cc13b-45 is suitable for both fats and oils as long as the sample is not turbid. The color value can be assessed qualitatively by visual inspection of the oil. Typically, the result of visual inspection is to classify the oil into light and dark oils compared to the known oil color. The color value can be quantified by measuring the red value or yellow value with AOCS method Ccl3b-45. Typically, crude corn oil isolated by conventional dry grinding has a red value of about 7-10 and a yellow value of about 60-70. Corn oil isolated by the tableting method described here has a lighter color quality and is generally lighter than crude corn oil produced by wet and dry milling techniques. The yellow value is between about 60-70 and the red value is between about 7-10, as determined by American Oil and Chemical Society method Cc 13b-93.

Extracted corn oil can be used as raw material for chemical modification, component of biodegradable plastics, component of mixed food products, component of edible or cooking oil, lubricant or component thereof, biodiesel or component thereof, component of snacks , raw materials for the fermentation process and ingredients for cosmetics. Since the oil obtained by the extraction method herein contains one or more components obtained from the non-endosperm portion of the corn kernel, the oil is fortified. In some embodiments, the oil contains about 20%-80%, or 25%-50% oleic acid, whereas conventional corn only contains 25%-40% oleic acid in the oil. When making oil blends from extracted oils, the blending can be done before, during or after the extraction process.

Meals produced by the slicing and oiling methods described here are used to generate unique feed products. Cornmeal as used herein is obtained after oil extraction from whole high-oil corn kernels in which the kernel has not been separated into its component parts, although the kernel may be ground, flaked, broken, sliced, or ground or are not treated as such. The process of removing oil from corn by extraction is used to concentrate the remaining nutrients such as protein and essential amino acids. Feed rations containing mainly cornmeal prepared by extraction require less protein from other sources (such as soybeans) to be added compared to feed rations containing mainly regular corn kernels. Due to the increased number of processed components, this powder allows feed manufacturers a flexibility in producing feed that would otherwise not be possible. Using the expressed corn meal of the present invention as an ingredient in the stated proportions can produce animal feed rations with specific physical properties (such as bulk density, texture, granulation and moisture retention) and/or specific nutritional properties. . The extracted cornmeal isolated by the flaking and extraction methods described herein may be as such, ie, as low-fat cornmeal. Alternatively, it can be combined with other powders or nutritional ingredients to make feed rations and foods. Extracted corn meal can also be combined with meal made from crops such as soybean, canola, sunflower, canola, cotton and other crops. Genetically modified corn may also be used to make expressed corn meal and/or combined with meal made from transgenic oilseed particles to form fortified meal or fortified products.

The extracted corn flour can be provided as a loose product or a pelleted product, which can optionally be combined with other ingredients. For example, a granular product may include expressed corn flour (by itself or in combination with other ingredients) that has been granulated and then coated with zein. Cornmeal may be included in blended powder products provided in loose or granular form.

Feed rations made from oil-extracted cornmeal generally meet dietary and quality standards established by CODEX ALIMENTARIUS or the National Research Council. This powder usually contains the approximate amounts of the following ingredients listed in the table below. Element Sample A content (%) Sample B content (%) Sample C content (%) moisture 5-45 5-25 5-45 starch 40-70 40-80 40-70 protein 8-20 7-20 8-20 fat (oil) 0.75-6 0.75-6.0 0.75-12 crude fiber 2-4 2-4 Ash 1.5-3 0.5-2.0 fructose 0.15-0.3 glucose 0.2-0.5 sucrose 1.5-2.5 Lysine 0.2-2.0 Tryptophan 0.03-2.0

The above-mentioned powders may further contain variable amounts of ingredients, the amounts of which are not indicated.

The extracted corn flour described here provides higher amounts of certain key nutrients (nutrients) such as vitamins, folic acid, pantothenic acid, lysine, tryptophan when compared to flour made from conventional corn and/or niacin. For example, pressed corn meal samples 1 and 2 made according to Example 1 contained the following nutrients in the indicated amounts. Amounts of the same ingredients were compared to their levels in unprocessed yellow corn as described here. Element yellow corn Powder sample 1 Powder sample 2 Vitamin B6 (mg/100g) 0.400 0.820 0.660 Vitamin B12 (mg/100g) 0.500 0.500 0.500 Folic acid (μg/100g) - 25.0 25.0 Pantothenic acid (mg/100g) - 0.660 0.890 Niacin (mg/100g) 2.05 2.30 1.15

Advantageously, the expressed corn meal produced as described herein may contain a specified level of oil and, in particular, a specified ratio of oil to protein, oil to carbohydrate, or oil to protein to carbohydrate. For example, regular corn contains 8 percent protein and 4 percent oil, giving it a protein:oil ratio of 2.0, while high-oil corn contains 9 percent protein and 12 percent oil, giving it a protein:oil ratio of 0.75. The powder produced by extraction contained 10.5% protein and 1.5% oil, with a protein:oil ratio of 7.0. This high ratio makes this type of meal, and products made from it, desirable for certain applications, an example being finishing feed for pigs.

Different animals require different levels of nutrients depending on species, age and husbandry. High oil corn is subjected to different degrees of extraction, ie, the higher the degree of extraction of high oil corn, the more oil is removed from the corn, thereby producing feed rations with different levels of nutrients. Thus, by controlling the degree of extraction of the high oil corn, feed rations containing the extracted corn meal of the present invention can be made to contain varying amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates. The table below details the levels at which the specified ingredients are present in animal feed rations containing extracted corn meal, indicating specific content ranges for exemplary rations containing extracted corn meal as the main ingredient, and indicates the general content of rations that may contain one or more other ingredients (e.g., carbohydrate-based energy sources such as sorghum, wheat, and/or other grains or their by-products, or other non-cereal ingredients) scope. Typical content ranges for ingredients Exemplary content ranges Corn meal described here 2-95% 50-90% oilseed meal ¹ 3-35% 10-30% meat and bone meal 0-12% 0-7% feather meal 0- 6% 0-4% Fat 0-10% 1-6% Salt 0.1-0.5% 0.1-0.5% Lysine 0-0.4% 0-0.4% Methionine 0-0.3% 0-0.3% Nutrient Premix Material 0.01-1.0% 0.01-1.0%

¹ Oilseed flours include, but are not limited to, soybean, sunflower, canola, cottonseed, and other plant-based flours, which may or may not be oil-extracted.

Meat and bone meal were obtained from suppliers such as Darling International (Irving, Texas). Oilseed meal was obtained from suppliers such as Cargill Oilseeds (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Feather meal was obtained from suppliers such as Agri Trading Company, (Hetchinson, MN). Amino acids were obtained from suppliers such as DuCoa (Highland, IL).

Feed rations are formulated by mixing various substances, such as grains, seed meal, vitamins and/or purified amino acids, to form a complex that meets daily requirements for protein, energy, fat, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients made of substance. The process of blending involves grinding and blending ingredients to create a relatively uniform mixture of nutrients. The physical properties of feed ingredients and feed mixes affect the nutritional quality, storability and overall value of the product. A suitable method of manufacturing feed rations is disclosed in Feed Manufacturing Technology IV, 1994, published by the American Feed Industry Association.

Extracted corn flour is relatively similar to steam-flaked corn in terms of digestibility in terms of starch structure, but it is better digestible in ruminants due to processing conditions. As discussed herein, specific oil levels in the oiled meal can be achieved by varying processing conditions. The protein, amino acid, and oil levels of this oil-extracted meal cannot be achieved in steam-flaked conventional corn, while steam-flaked high-oil corn contains more oil, which is detrimental to ruminant health.

Many types of animal feed rations can be developed with this type of oil-extracted cornmeal, for purposes of illustration the following diet types will be described here:

CLAIMS 1. Meal obtained from corn kernels having an oil content of 12% and a protein content of 9% for use in a finishing diet for hogs, the oil content of the meal obtained from this corn being 1.5%.

2. Meal obtained from corn kernels having an oil content of 12% and a protein content of 9% for use in poultry chicken diets, the oil content of the meal obtained from this corn being 4.0%.

Combination products containing extracted corn meal and one or more other oilseed meals are produced by one or more of the following methods: 1) blending high oil corn and other oilseeds, followed by crushing and/or pressing For flaking, all seed mixtures are flaked and extracted using the process described here to form a blended meal; 2) high oil corn is crushed and moistened before blending with other oilseeds and flaked and use all of the seed mixture for the extraction process described here to form a blended meal; 3) flake high oil corn before blending it with other oilseeds and use all of the seed mixture for the 4) blending the extracted corn meal with pressed or unexpressed other oilseed meal to form a blended meal; or 5) combining them to form a blended meal . At any point in the above process, additional ingredients may be added to the blended powder to make a blended product.

Extracted cornmeal is also used in foods like snacks, mixed foods, breads, fermented ingredients, breakfast cereals, concentrated foods (such as canned juices), puffed or extruded foods, and porridge.

When used in human or animal edible products, extracted corn flour can be mixed with other flours, other oilseed flours, grains, other corn, sorghum, wheat, by-products of wheat milling, barley, cassava, Ingredients such as corn bran meal, corn bran feed, barley by-products, whole rice bran and rice hulls are mixed.

Extracted corn flour is also used as a feedstock for the production of corn protein isolate, fermentation, further chemical processing, and enzymes such as amylase and protease can be added to the flour to help break down starch and protein.

Extracted corn flour can optionally be used in conventional methods for separating the starch and protein components. These methods include, for example, dry milling, wet milling, high pressure pumping, or cryogenic processing. These and other suitable methods are described in Chapters 11 and 12 of Corn: Chemistry and Technology, edited by Watson, S.A. and P.E. Ramstad (1987) (American Association of Cereal Chemist Company, St. Paul, MN, USA), at This is incorporated for reference. Since the oil has been removed from the cornmeal, the starch and protein components are more easily separated from the other components in the oil-expressed cornmeal than in the meal from which the corn oil has not been extracted.

Several important quality parameters of expressed meal include fat, starch, protein and moisture content. Methods for evaluating quality parameters of oilseed meal are described in the AOCS method, the relevant methods are hereby incorporated by reference. These methods can also be used for extracted cornmeal prepared by the method described here

The moisture content of the granules can affect the tableting process. It is necessary to increase the moisture content of the corn kernels to about 1%-15% prior to flaking the seeds. Optimizing the moisture content of the particles facilitates adequate processing, as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

The cornmeal was normalized to the conventional moisture content, and cornmeal separated by different methods or separated at different times was compared. The moisture content of oilseed protein concentrates (such as cornmeal or whole corn) is determined by AOCS method Ba 2b-82. The crude fiber content of corn flour is determined by AOCS method Ba 6-84. AOCS method Ba 6-84 can be used for pellets, flour, flour, feed and all fibrous substances from which fat can be extracted leaving a processable residue. The crude protein content of corn flour is determined by AOCS method Ba 4e-93. The starch content of corn flour is determined by AOCS method Ba 4e-93. The starch content of corn flour is determined using the A-20 method ("Corn Refiner's method A-20") in the book Standard Analytical Methods of the Member Companies of the Corn Refiners Association Incorporated (Second Edition, April 15, 1986). of.

It should be understood that the analytical methods provided herein are examples of useful methods for calculating the various quality parameters of the oils and meal described herein. Other suitable methods are known and can also be used to calculate the quality parameters described and claimed herein.

The following examples serve to demonstrate specific embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the techniques mentioned in the examples which follow represent techniques discovered by the inventors to function well in the practice of the invention, and thus are considered exemplary modes for its practice. However, those of ordinary skill in the art should, in view of the disclosure herein, appreciate that many changes can be made in the particular embodiments which are disclosed herein and still obtain a like or a similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. .

Example 1 details a solvent extraction based process for the extraction of oil from high oil corn to produce pressed corn meal. Table 2 provides detailed compositional profiles of the two types of extracted corn flour. Cornmeal with a lower oil content has been extracted to a greater extent than cornmeal with a higher oil content.

Example 2 provides the detailed composition and nutritional profile of a hog finisher feed made with oil-extracted corn meal prepared as in Example 1. Table 3 compares feed rations made with oil-extracted corn meal and feed rations made with conventional corn. Due to the specific nutritional characteristics of extracted corn meal, finisher feed rations made from it do not require the addition of conventional corn and require less soybean meal as well as varying amounts of other ingredients in order to provide a suitable feed ration.

Example 3 provides the detailed composition and nutritional profile of a poultry finisher feed made with extracted corn meal prepared as in Example 1. Table 4 compares feed rations made with oil-extracted corn meal and feed rations made with conventional corn. Due to the specific nutritional characteristics of extracted corn meal, finisher feed rations made from it do not require the addition of conventional corn and require less soybean meal in order to provide a suitable feed ration.

Example 4 describes a method of obtaining corn oil with increased tocotrienol content. Corn oil was made according to Example 1. Oil from high oil corn was compared to a commercially available crude oil obtained from conventional corn by conventional methods. The extracted oil contains increased levels of tocotrienols, especially alpha- and gamma-tocotrienols.

Example 5 provides the detailed composition of a mixed feed ration made from soybean flour and extracted corn flour that meets the dietary nutrient requirements for poultry and swine as outlined in the National Research Council (NRC) guidelines and nutritional characteristics. Unlike corn kernels, when blended with soy flour, the oil-extracted corn flour prepared here provides higher protein and amino acid levels and oil levels with ingredient flexibility to meet NRC-established nutrient levels.

Example 1

Treatment of high oil corn by crushing, wetting and flaking

45 lbs of high oil corn were crushed using a Roskamp Series 6.5 (two 9” units) with a roller distance of 0.27 inches. One sample was used for analysis and the remaining sample was divided into 4 sub-samples. At different temperatures (120F , 150F, 180F, 200F) Wet each sub-sample separately. Heat the samples in a Crown 18" Desolventizer/Oven. When each sample reaches its wetting temperature, run the samples through a sheeting roller. The sheeting used The roller is Ross 10 inches, and the gap is set to 0.007 inches. Take a thin slice sample and extract about 500g of sample. Wash the flake sample with 1200ml of hexane for 20 minutes each time, wash 4 times, and remove 4800ml of solvent in 120 minutes Solvent temperature is approximately 120F. Trash oil is collected and filtered through a #4 qualitative disc of 185 mm diameter. The residue is dried at room temperature. The filtered miscella is then rotovaped to evaluate percent oil recovery. Oil and fines are removed The samples were analyzed for their fatty acid properties, starch, protein and fiber. During the extraction process sieving was carried out and the thickness of the flakes was measured.

Other equipment used for analysis included Mettler Toledo HR73 Halogen Moisture Analyzer, OhausExplore scale, Büchi R-114 Roto-Vap, Crown Extractor Sieve (0.032 mesh) and easy-loadmaster Flex 17529-30 model pump.

The color of the crude oil was visually determined to be light yellow in comparison to the crude oil (dark brown) isolated by conventional wet milling.

The desolvated corn flour was characterized by AOCS methods Ba 3-38, Ba 2b-82, Ba 6-84 and Ba 4e-93 and Corn Refiner's method A-20. When normalized to a moisture content of 10%, corn flour contains about 3.2% fiber, about 65% starch, and about 14% protein. The fat content of the flour was determined to be about 1.07% by AOCS method 3-38. For comparison, a corn bran feed prepared by conventional wet milling and normalized to a moisture content of 10% has an oil content of about 4%, a protein content of about 20%, and a fiber and other carbohydrate content of about 60%. Also for comparison, a corn bran feed produced with conventional wet milling and normalized to a moisture content of 10% may contain about 3% oil, about 60% protein and about 22% fiber and other carbohydrates .

Table 2 shows the nutritional characteristics of the two flours (1.5% oil and 4.0% oil) prepared in this way.

Table 2. Nutrient content of two types of meal (1.5% oil and 4.0% oil) made by extracting oil from high oil corn containing 12% oil and 9% protein. Contents are expressed based on "as is" or "as fed" moisture levels. Ingredient content ( %) content ( %) Water 12 12 Oil 1.5 4 Protein 10.5 10.2 Starch 58.0 56.3 Neutral deodonant fiber 11.3 11 Acidal sewage fiber 2.8 2.8 gray 1.4 lysine 0.39 0.37 0.105 0.102 A Sulfate 0.29 0.28 cysteine 0.25 0.24 Total sulfur -containing 0.54 0.52 peeine 0.53 0.51 isolatein 0.40 0.39 arginine 0.53 0.51 Susamine 0.40 0.39 1.20.0.17 Pinine Alanine 0.51 0.5 Alanine 0.82 0.79 serine 0.54 0.52 Actual metabolic energy (TMEN; Kcal/Kg) 3023 3133 Pig metabolism (me; kcal/kg) 3191 3301

Example 2

Meal from flaked and extracted corn used as an ingredient in finishing feed rations for hogs

This example details a comparison between two different feeds: a first feed ration containing conventional corn without solvent extraction and a second feed ration containing extracted corn meal. Feed rations containing extracted cornmeal are used when lean pork is the desired end product. Hog finisher feed rations containing oil-extracted corn meal with an oil content of less than or about 1.5% were prepared with the following ingredients at the levels listed in Table 3. Such feed rations are typically prepared by tempering, mixing and pelleting the ingredients; however, one or more of these steps may be omitted in manufacturing the feed ration.

Table 3. Comparison of swine feed rations made from regular corn (not high-oil corn) and oil-extracted corn flour derived from high-oil corn containing 12% oil, 9% protein, where the oil-extracted corn The flour contains about 1.5% or less oil (fat). Nutrient content is shown. Contents are expressed based on "as is" or "as fed" moisture levels.

Pig fertilizer feed ingredients Normal corn ( %) corn powder ( %) corn 79.98-corn powder (about 1.5 % oil)-83.55 bean powder 12.45 6.60 meat and bone meal 6.59 7.22 feathers 0.10 1.50 salt 0.40 0.70 lysine 0.08 0.15 methionine-premix ingredient 0.15 0.15 Nutritional component crude protein, % 15.44 15.78me, Kcal/Kg 3200 3200 thick fiber, % 1.96 2.12 calcium, % 0.85 0.85 phosphorus, % % % % 0.58 0.58 amino acids, % arginine 0.96 0.93 cysteine 0.28 0.29 groups of amine 0.40 0.42 isterine 0.57 0.58 brightein 1.39 1.49 lysine 0.81 0.81 methionine 0.26 0.70 0.72 Su 0.56 0.58 colorine 0.14 0.14 Tyline 0.47 0.48 缬opine 0.72 0.75

In Table 3, the absolute values of the percentages of ingredients are given, however, in practice, ingredients using the inclusion ratios listed in other tables in the text may also be included.

Some advantages of this new feed ration are that the user of the meal does not need to grind the corn, thus saving an energy-intensive step, less soybean or other oilseed meal is required to meet the required protein levels, and This flour has better digestibility than corn kernels.

Example 3

Meal from flaked and extracted corn used as an ingredient in poultry finisher feed rations

This feed ration is used to meet the high energy requirements of growing birds such as chicks. Chicken finisher feed rations for poultry containing extracted corn meal with an oil (fat) content of less than or about 4% were prepared with the following ingredients at the levels listed in Table 4. Such feed rations are typically prepared by tempering, mixing and pelleting the ingredients; however, one or more of these steps may be omitted in manufacturing the feed ration.

Table 4. Comparison of poultry feed rations made from regular corn (non-high oil corn) and extracted corn flour derived from high oil corn containing 12% oil, 9% protein, where the extracted corn The flour contains about 4% or less oil (fat). Nutrient content is shown. Contents are expressed based on "as is" or "as fed" moisture levels.

The grown chicken ingredients are normal corn ( %) corn flour ( %) of the normal corn 66.85-corn powder (about 4 % oil)-70.86 bean flour 20.96 16.42 meat and bone meal 5.00 5.00 feathers powder 2.00 2.00 fat 3.76 Salt 0.37 0.37 lysine 0.13 0.19 addy methionine 0.15 0.09 premix ingredient 0.10 0.10 Nutritional component crude protein, % 19.48 19.52me, Kcal/Kg 3100 3100 thick fiber, % 1.97 2.12 calcium calcium. , % 0.94 0.94 phosphorus, % 0.63 0.62 amino acids, % arginine 1.27 1.23 cysteine 0.38 0.39 groups of picin 0.47 0.48 isterinomine 0.78 0.79 pine 1.68 1.74 lysine 1.06 1.06 0.44 0.44 Phenylalanine 0.92 0.92 Susteine 0.74 0.75 chromine 0.19 0.20 Tyeline 0.61 0.62 Pedine 0.95 0.96

In Table 4, the absolute values of the percentages of ingredients are given, however, in practice, ingredients using the inclusion ratios listed in other tables in the text may also be included.

Example 4 Use of oil from flaked and extracted corn as a food ingredient, or as a raw material for the purification of grain components

In this example, an oil is described having a tocotrienol content approximately 200%-300% greater than conventionally produced crude corn oil. Using the tabletting and extraction methods of Example 1, corn oil was extracted from high-oil corn with an oil content of about 12%. The corn oil was then analyzed for tocotrienol content. The following table includes data relating to the alpha- and gamma-tocotrienol content of conventional corn oil prepared from conventional corn by conventional methods and extracted corn oil prepared according to the method of Example 1. Conventional crude oil refers to the unrefined corn oil sample. This sample is representative of most common products currently manufactured. As described below, it was found that the tocotrienol content of oil extracted from whole kernel (EWKO) samples solvent-extracted from two different high oil corn samples at 120-200°F was approximately 2-3 times that of oil samples. The tocotrienol content of the EWKO samples ranged from about 26ppm-33ppm alpha-tocotrienol and about 48ppm-84ppm gamma-tocotrienol. Generally, increasing the extraction temperature will increase the tocotrienol content of the extracted corn oil. The actual minimum and maximum tocotrienol levels will depend on the particular high oil corn used. sample Alpha Tocotrienol (ppm) Gamma Tocotrienol (ppm) Conventional crude oil (control) 11.88 29.94 EWKO 1 120-200F 29.36-33.19 48.11-59.36 EWKO 2 120F 26.05-28.43 79.55-84.21

Thus, the method of Example 1 was used to produce extracted corn oil containing enhanced levels of tocotrienols.

Example 5

Meal from flaked and extracted corn is used as a blend containing corn flour and oilseed meal

animal feed rations

This example describes a novel feed formulation containing a mixture of corn flour obtained by tableting and oil extraction and another meal of vegetable origin, such as oilseed meal. The mixed substance can be simply a loosely aggregated mixture of the two powders or a granulated product. Since the methods of making corn and oilseed meal are similar, ie crushing, moistening, flaking and solvent extraction, it is possible to produce both meals together and blend them before selling to consumers. The advantage of this approach is that many different protein and energy levels can be made in one powder, and additional ingredients can optionally be added at the powder mixing stage or at a later stage. For example, an energy-intensive step in feed manufacturing involves grinding corn kernels in a feed mill before mixing it with other ingredients. Compared to conventional mixes, the mixes of the present invention generally require less energy to manufacture the final feed ration.

Table 5 shows soy flour (SBM), oil-extracted corn flour (ECM), a mixture of 20% SBM and 80% ECM (S20-C80), a mixture of 10% SBM and 90% ECM (S10-C90) and Nutrient profiles of nutrient requirements of poultry and swine diets. Nutrient requirements for poultry and swine are listed according to National Research Council (NRC) guidelines. ECMs were fabricated according to Example 1.

S20-C80 Poultry Requirement S10-C90 Pig Requirement

Parameters NRC

NRC for finishing pigs

SBM ECM content content content content content thick protein (CP) 47.5 10.2 17.66 18 13.93 13.2 pig me, kcal/kg 3380 3301 3316.8 3308.90 3265 poultry ME, kcal/kg 3133 2994.4 3200 3063.70 coated fat Paint fiber, % 8.9 11.3 10.82 11.06 acid -based pollutant fiber, % 5.4 2.8 3.32 3.06 arginine 3.48 0.45 1.06 1.00 0.75 0.19 groups 1.28 0.27 0.47 0.27 0.19 isterine 2.16 0.34 0.70 0.52 0.52 0.33 bright ammonia. Acid 3.66 1.03 1.56 0.93 1.29 0.54 lysine 3.02 0.33 0.87 0.60 0.60 0.60 methionine 0.67 0.25 0.33 0.29 0.16 cysteine 0.74 0.21 0.28 0.26 0.35 benate 2.39 0.83 0.5.5.644.6 0.29       0.60      0.48      0.44      0.55苏氨酸               1.85       0.34       0.64      0.68      0.49      0.41色氨酸               0.65       0.09       0.20      0.16      0.15      0.11缬氨酸               2.27       0.45       0.81      0.70      0.63      0.40总的必需氨基酸(EAA)  23.99      4.49       8.39      6.85      6.44      4.17EZZ/CP               0.505      0.440 0.45 0.381 0.45 0.316

Example 6

Processing high oil corn by flake method

Yellow molars with a total oil content greater than about 7% were screened using the Perten Bulk Near Infrared (NIR) Seed Tester (TM) (Model: 9100-H.F) (Perten Instruments, PO Box 7398, Reno, NV 89510) Individual ears and hulled kernels of corn. Kernels from ears with an oil content of at least 7% were further screened for individual kernels with an oil content of at least 13% in a Brimrose seedmeister(TM) single-kernel NIR tester (Brimrose Corporation, Baltimore, MD). The kernels were stored at a moisture content of approximately 13.5%. When processed, the moisture content of the seeds is about 10%.

Whole kernels were flaked using a bench-top flaking apparatus consisting of a two-inch stainless steel rod and flat plate. The whole kernel flakes are passed through the rollers four times to give a final flake thickness of about 0.01 inch. Trash oil was extracted from flaked corn kernels using hot (60-65EC) n-hexane and a Kimble (TM) Model 585050 Soxhlet extractor. The resulting miscella and cornmeal were desolvated. The miscella was heated to 70EC under 25 inches of mercury vacuum to remove solvent. Corn flour was desolvated according to AOCS method Ba 2a-38.

All recovered oil represented 14.74% of all kernel samples. The phosphorus content of the desolvated crude oil was 365 parts per million (ppm) as determined by AOCS method Ca 12-55. The phospholipid content was determined to be 1.095% (0.0365%*30). The free fatty acid content determined by AOCS method Ca 5a-40 is 0.2%. The loss of neutral oil during processing was 1.3% (1.095%+0.2%). In the same way, crude oil extracted from conventional (i.e., 3-4% total oil content) corn kernels by conventional wet milling has a phosphorus content of about 600 ppm to 800 ppm and a free fatty acid content of about 0.5% to 1.0% , The neutral oil lost during processing is about 3%-4%.

The color of the crude oil was visually determined to be pale yellow in comparison to the crude oil (dark brown) isolated by conventional wet milling.

The desolvated corn flour was characterized by AOCS methods Ba 3-38, Ba 2b-82, Ba 6-84 and Ba 4e-93 and Corn Refiner's method A-20. When normalized to a moisture content of 10%, corn flour contains about 3.2% fiber, about 65% starch, and about 14% protein. The fat content of the flour was determined to be about 1.07% by AOCS method 3-38. For comparison, a corn bran feed prepared by conventional wet milling and normalized to a moisture content of 10% has an oil content of about 4%, a protein content of about 20%, and a fiber and other carbohydrate content of about 60%. Also for comparison, a corn bran feed produced with conventional wet milling and normalized to a moisture content of 10% may contain about 3% oil, about 60% protein and about 22% fiber and other carbohydrates .

To the extent not listed, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the particular embodiments described and illustrated herein can be further modified to include features listed in other embodiments.

Unless otherwise stated, weights and percentages indicated herein are based on dry weight. Percentages used here are expressed w/w. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that when amounts of ingredients are expressed in their ranges in the composition, those ingredients are usually present, but not all ingredients are necessarily present at their respective maximum levels. Also, any one or more ingredients may be present in their respective maximum amounts and the amounts of other ingredients will be adjusted so that the sum of all ingredients does not exceed 100% wt.

The above detailed description has been provided, but this is only for a better understanding of the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation to it. Those skilled in the art should realize that without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims Several modifications can be made to the invention. Accordingly, other aspects, advantages and modifications are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (75)

CLAIMS 1. A feed ration comprising: corn meal obtained by extracting oil from whole high oil corn; and at least one other nutrient. 2. Feed ration according to claim 1, characterized in that the corn meal is obtained after solvent extraction. 3. The feed ration of claim 2, wherein the corn meal is desolvated after extraction. 4. The feed ration of claim 2 wherein whole high oil corn is flaked prior to extraction to form flaked corn. 5. The feed ration of claim 4 wherein the flaked corn is moistened prior to flaking. 6. The feed ration of claim 1, wherein at least one other nutrient is selected from the group consisting of meat and bone meal, feather meal, vitamins, minerals, fat, salt, oilseed meal, amino acid, oilseed meal, Corn, sorghum, wheat by-products, wheat milling by-products, barley, cassava, corn bran meal, corn bran feed, barley by-products, whole rice bran and rice hulls. 7. The feed ration of claim 6, wherein the feed ration further comprises at least two other nutrients present in the following amounts: Ingredients content range 2-95 % of the corn flour squeezed oil Oilseed meal ¹ 3-35%                                                        Feather meal 0-6% Fat 0-10% Salt 0.1-0.5% Lysine 0-0.4%                                                                                                                                       8. The feed ration of claim 1, wherein the feed ration is pig feed. 9. A feed ration as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the feed ration contains: corn flour extracted from oil; and one or more selected from the group consisting of meat and bone meal, feather meal, vitamins, minerals, fat, salt , oilseed meal, amino acids, oilseed meal, corn, sorghum, wheat by-products, wheat milling by-products, barley, cassava, corn bran meal, corn bran feed, barley by-products, whole-fat rice bran, and rice hulls. 10. The feed ration of claim 1 wherein the feed is poultry feed. 11. A feed ration as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the feed ration contains: corn meal from which oil has been extracted; and one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of meat and bone meal, feather meal, vitamins, minerals, fat, salt , oilseed meal, amino acids, oilseed meal, corn, sorghum, wheat by-products, wheat milling by-products, barley, cassava, corn bran meal, corn bran feed, barley by-products, whole-fat rice bran, and rice hulls. 12. The feed ration of claim 1, wherein the feed ration is a poultry laying feed. 13. A feed ration as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the feed ration comprises: corn meal from which oil has been extracted; and one or more selected from the group consisting of meat and bone meal, feather meal, vitamins, minerals, fat, salt , oilseed meal, amino acids, oilseed meal, corn, sorghum, wheat by-products, wheat milling by-products, barley, cassava, corn bran meal, corn bran feed, barley by-products, whole-fat rice bran, and rice hulls. 14. The feed ration of claim 1, wherein the feed ration is cattle feed, horse feed, aquatic feed, or pet food. 15. The feed ration as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the feed ration comprises: corn meal from which oil has been extracted; and one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of meat and bone meal, feather meal, vitamins, minerals, fat, salt , oilseed meal, amino acids, oilseed meal, corn, sorghum, wheat by-products, wheat milling by-products, barley, cassava, corn bran meal, corn bran feed, barley by-products, whole-fat rice bran, and rice hulls. 16. A feed ration containing corn flour obtained after oil extraction from whole high-oil corn kernels, characterized in that this corn flour contains at least the following ingredients present in the indicated amounts: Ingredient content (%) Moisture 5-25 Oil 0.75-6 Protein 7-20 Starch 40-80 Fiber 2-4 Ash Content 0.5-2.0 17. A feed ration containing corn flour obtained after oil extraction from whole high-oil corn kernels, characterized in that this corn flour contains at least the following ingredients present in the indicated amounts: Ingredient content (%) Moisture 5-45 Oil 0.75-12 Protein 8-20 Starch 40-70 Lysine 0.2-2.0 Tryptophan 0.03-2.0 18. A feed ration as claimed in any one of claims 1 , 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 or 17, characterized in that the feed ration is pelletized. 19. A human food comprising oil-expressed corn meal obtained after extraction of oil from whole kernels of high-oil corn. 20. Human food according to claim 19, characterized in that the corn flour is obtained after solvent extraction. 21. The human food of claim 20, wherein the cornmeal is desolvated after extraction. 22. The human food product of claim 21, wherein the whole kernel is flaked to form flaked corn prior to extraction. 23. The human food product of claim 22, wherein the flaked corn is moistened prior to flaking. 24. Human food as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that the cornmeal contains at least the following ingredients present in the indicated amounts: Ingredient content (%) Moisture 5-25 Oil 0.75-6 Protein 7-20 Starch 40-80 Fiber 2-4 Ash 0.5-2.0 25. The human food product of claim 23, wherein the human product is selected from the group consisting of puffed snacks, cereals, flakes, breads, mixes, extruded snacks, food binders, food supplements, Nutraceutical bars, multivitamin supplements and porridge. 26. A corn oil-containing product comprising: corn oil obtained from high oil corn by extracting whole kernels of high oil corn. 27. The corn oil-containing product of claim 26, wherein the corn oil comprises: at least oil extracted from the germ and endosperm of high-oil corn; and at least one oil extracted from high-oil corn One or more other constituents of the endosperm, terminal bud, or pericarp. 28. The corn oil-containing product of claim 26, wherein the corn oil comprises: oil extracted from the germ and endosperm of high oil corn; and at least one endosperm extracted from high oil corn , one or more other components in the terminal bud or peel, wherein the components are selected from the group consisting of carotene, xanthophyll, lutein, pigment, tocotrienol, tocopherol, antioxidant, fat-soluble vitamin, sterol and Zeaxanthin. 29. The product containing corn oil as claimed in claim 26, which further contains one or more selected from conventional corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, olive oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, antioxidant , flavorings, hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils and/or substances of animal fat. 30. The product containing corn oil according to claim 29, characterized in that the product is selected from food oils, cooking oils, edible oils and mixed oils. 31. The corn oil-containing product of claim 30, wherein the product is a cooking oil. 32. The corn oil-containing product of claim 26, wherein the high oil corn contains at least about 8.0% oil of the total corn kernel prior to extraction. 33. The corn oil-containing product of claim 26, wherein the extraction is selected from the group consisting of solvent-based extraction, hydraulic pressure, screw press, aqueous solution, and enzymatic extraction. 34. The corn oil-containing product of any one of claims 26-33, wherein the oil-based product is selected from the group consisting of food supplements, sports drinks, cereals, multivitamin supplements, nutraceutical bars and food drinks. 35. The product containing corn oil as claimed in claim 26, it further contains one or more selected from food additives, salt, fat, food coloring, β-carotene, carmine extract, curcumin or tumeric, β-Apo-δ'-Carotene, Methyl Esters of β-Apo-δ'-Carotene, Ethyl Esters of β-Apo-δ'-Carotene, Natural Flavors, Synthetic Flavors antioxidants, antioxidants, propyl gallate, butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole, natural or synthetic tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbyl stearate, dithiodipropionate Lauryl Esters, Antioxidant Booster, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Isopropyl Citrate, Phosphoric Acid, Glyceryl Monocitrate, Antifoaming Agent, Dimethicone, Crystallization Inhibitor, Hard Oxide Esters, Amino Acids, Vitamins, Minerals, Carbohydrates, Sugars, Herbs, Spices, Acidity Regulators, Firming Agents, Enzymes, Flour Treatments, Viscosity Controls, Enzymes, Fats, Vegetable and Animal Proteins. 36. A method of using oil-extracted corn meal in an animal feed ration, the method comprising: providing flaked corn by at least flaking high-oil corn to form flaked corn and extracting the flaked corn to Oil-extracted corn meal obtained by removing a portion of the oil; and the use of oil-extracted corn meal in animal feed rations. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the high oil corn is moistened prior to flaking to form moist high oil corn. 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the moistened high oil corn is cracked prior to moistening. 39. The method of claim 36, wherein a substantial portion of the oil originally present in the high oil corn is extracted. 40. The method of claim 36, wherein at least 10% by weight of the oil originally present in the high oil corn is extracted. 41. The method of claim 36, wherein the extracted corn flour comprises: About 0.75-12.0% wt. of fat; About 5-45% wt. of water; About 7-20% wt. protein; About 2-4% wt. crude fiber; and; Approximately 40-80% wt. carbohydrates. 42. The method of claim 41 wherein the majority of the animal feed ration is extracted cornmeal. 43. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps of: At least one selected from the group consisting of grains, flavorings, preservatives, oils, oilseed meal, meat and bone meal, protein, fiber, feather meal, fat, salt, amino acids, vitamins and minerals is added to the extracted corn meal Other ingredients to form animal feed rations. 44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the steps of: The animal feed ration is provided as a finisher feed ration for at least one of pigs, laying poultry, and meat poultry. 45. A method of using extracted corn oil in a food product, comprising the steps of: providing the flaked corn by at least flaking high oil corn to form flaked corn and extracting the flaked corn to remove a portion of the corn extracted corn oil; and the use of extracted corn oil in food. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein the high oil corn is moistened prior to flaking to form moist high oil corn. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the high oil corn is cracked prior to moistening. 48. The method of claim 45, wherein a substantial portion of the oil originally present in the high oil corn is extracted. 49. The method of claim 45, wherein at least 10% by weight of the oil originally present in the high oil corn is extracted. 50. The method of claim 46, wherein the extracted corn oil contains at least about twice the amount of tocopherol present in conventional corn oil obtained from conventional corn by conventional dry milling or wet milling. Enol. 51. The method of claim 46, wherein the extracted corn oil contains at least about twice the amount of beta- Carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin or other pigments. 52. The method as claimed in claim 50 or 51, further comprising the step of: adding at least one selected from common corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, olive oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, red corn oil to the extracted corn oil Other ingredients of flower oil, antioxidants, flavoring, hydrogenated oil, partially hydrogenated oil, animal fat, vinegar, salt, water, flour, spices, potatoes and sugar. 53. The method of claim 52, further comprising the step of providing the food in a form suitable for human or animal consumption. 54. A method of using extracted corn oil as a feedstock in an oil refining process comprising the steps of: providing flaked corn by at least flaking high oil corn to form flaked corn and extracting the flaked corn Extracted crude corn oil produced by removing a portion of the corn oil; and using the extracted crude corn oil in a feedstream to an oil refining process. 55. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of refining the extracted crude corn oil to form purified corn oil. 56. The method of claim 55, wherein corn oil has been removed from the flaked corn by solvent extraction. 57. The method of claim 56, wherein the refining process includes the step of bleaching or deodorizing the corn oil to produce purified corn oil. 58. The method of claim 56, wherein the refining process comprises the steps of: mixing the crude oil and caustic solution for a sufficient time to form a mixture; and centrifuging the mixture to separate the refined oil from free fatty acids. 59. A method of making an oil-expressed blended meal comprising oil-expressed corn flour obtained from high-oil corn and one or more other oilseed meals, comprising the steps of: combining high-oil corn with a or more other oilseed particles to form a particle mixture; and the particle mixture is flaked and extracted to remove oil therefrom to form an oil-expressed blended powder. 60. A method of making an expressed blended meal comprising expressed corn flour obtained from high oil corn and one or more other oilseed meals, comprising the steps of: Oil corn is mixed with crushed and moistened other oilseeds to form a wetted mixture; the wetted mixture is flaked to form a flaked mixture; and the flaked mixture is used in an extraction process to remove The oil is removed to form an oil-pressed blended powder. 61. A method of making an oil-expressed blended meal comprising expressed corn flour obtained from high oil corn and one or more other oilseed meals, comprising the steps of crushing, wetting and pressing Flaked high-oil corn is mixed with other oilseeds that are crushed, moistened, and flaked to form a flaked mixture; the flaked mixture is used in an extraction process to remove oil from it to form a pressed Mixed powder of oil. 62. A method of making an expressed blended meal comprising expressed corn flour obtained from high oil corn and one or more other oilseed flours that have been expressed, comprising the steps of: Corn flour for oil is mixed with one or more other oilseed flours that have been pressed for oil to form a mixed powder, wherein the corn flour for oil is at least obtained by flaking high-oil corn and extracting to form oil-expressed Obtained from cornmeal. 63. A method as claimed in any one of claims 59, 60, 61 or 62, further comprising the step of adding additional ingredients to the expressed blended powder to form an oil expressed blended powder product. 64. An oil-expressed blended powder product produced by the method of claim 63. 65. A method as claimed in any one of claims 59, 60, 61 or 62, wherein the extracted corn flour comprises: About 0.75-12.0% wt. of fat; About 5-45% wt. of water; About 7-20% wt. protein; About 2-4% wt. crude fiber; and; Approximately 40-80% wt. carbohydrates. 66. An oil-expressed mixed powder produced by the method of claim 65. 67. A method as claimed in any one of claims 59, 60, 61 or 62 wherein the one or more other oilseeds are selected from soybeans, canola seeds, sunflower seeds, rapeseed and cottonseed. 68. An oil-pressed mixed powder product manufactured by the method of any one of claims 59, 60, 61 or 62, characterized in that the mixed powder product contains: About 0.75-12.0% wt. of fat; About 5-45% wt. of water; About 5-60% wt. protein; About 2-4% wt. crude fiber; and; Approximately 40-80% wt. carbohydrates. 69. A method of forming an expressed blended meal comprising the steps of: forming a mixture comprising corn germ and whole high oil corn; and extracting the mixture to form an expressed blended meal. 70. An oil-expressed mixed powder produced by the method of claim 69. 71. An expressed mixed powder produced by the method of claim 59, 60, 61, 62 or 70, characterized in that the expressed mixed powder is granulated. 72. The expressed mixed powder of claim 71, wherein the granulated flour is coated with zein. 73. The feed ration of claim 18 wherein the pelleted feed ration is coated with zein. 74. Use of corn flour in animal feed or human food, characterized in that corn flour is obtained after extraction of corn oil from whole kernels of high oil corn. 75. Use of corn oil in animal feed or human food, characterized in that corn oil is extracted from whole kernels of high oil corn.