How does Azteca Milling manufacture corn masa flour?
The industrial production of corn masa flour involves the nixtamalization, grinding, and drying of corn. In a continuous process, lime, corn and water are mixed and heated. The corn cooks for several minutes; this corn cooked in lime is known as nixtamal. Nixtamal is then washed to remove excess lime and steeped before it is ground. The ground particles are dried very quickly at high temperatures, then cooled and sifted. Large particles are re-ground and sifted again to achieve the final particle size resulting in corn masa flour. Finished flour stored in silos is later packaged in paper bags. This entire process is subject to strict quality controls and sanitary manufacturing practices.
