Gruma has been granted a patent for water- and energy-saving systems and methods for producing lime-cooked masa. The method involves moisturizing maize kernels with a lime solution, tempering and steaming the kernels, grinding them into fine and coarse dough materials, cooling the dough, and mixing it to form lime-cooked masa. This innovative process aims to improve efficiency and reduce resource consumption in the production of lime-cooked masa. GlobalData’s report on Gruma gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
Smarter leaders trust GlobalData
According to GlobalData’s company profile on Gruma, probiotic culture preservation was a key innovation area identified from patents. Gruma's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Patent granted for water- and energy-saving method for producing lime-cooked masa
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11672264B2) describes a method for producing lime-cooked masa, a dough used in the production of various food products. The method involves several steps to process maize kernels and create a fine-ground and coarse-ground dough material, which are then mixed to form the lime-cooked masa.
The process begins by moisturizing the maize kernels with a lime solution, which involves spraying the kernels. The moisturized kernels are then tempered using a conditioner, followed by steaming in a cooker. After steaming, the maize kernels are tempered again. A portion of the tempered maize kernels is ground into a fine-ground dough material using a first mill, while another portion is ground into a coarse-ground dough material using a second mill. The fine-ground and coarse-ground dough materials are then cooled and mixed together to create the lime-cooked masa.
Additional claims in the patent provide further details on specific aspects of the method. For example, claim 2 states that the moisturized maize kernels should be tempered for 20 to 40 minutes, while claim 3 specifies that the tempered kernels should be steamed for 5 to 10 minutes. Claim 4 highlights that the first mill and second mill used for grinding the dough materials have different stone gaps.
Another set of claims describes an alternative method for producing lime-cooked masa. This method involves moisturizing and tempering the maize kernels, followed by polishing/dehulling to separate the kernels into two portions. One portion contains a fine maize fraction. The first portion is then moisturized again, tempered, and steamed along with the fine maize fraction.
The patent also includes additional details on the duration of certain steps, such as tempering the first moisturized portion for at least three hours (claim 6) and steaming the first tempered portion and fine maize fraction for 4 to 12 minutes (claim 7). The lime solution used for moisturizing the maize kernels should contain between 1% and 5% lime by weight (claim 9).
Overall, this granted patent outlines a method for efficiently producing lime-cooked masa by moisturizing, tempering, steaming, grinding, and mixing maize kernels. The method offers flexibility in terms of grinding options and provides specific guidelines for various steps in the process.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Gruma, buy the report here.
Data Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.
GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
