Cereal Chem. 71:96-99   |  VIEW ARTICLE


Alkali Wet-Milling Characteristics of Pearled and Unpearled Amaranth Seed.

D. J. Myers and S. R. Fox. Copyright 1994 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Researchers are showing increasing interest in grain amaranth because of its unique microcrystalline starch granules (1-3 micrometers in diameter). This investigation was conducted to determine the potential of an alkaline wet-milling method to separate the starch from the seed. Pearled and unpearled Amaranthus cruentus seed was wet milled using a high-alkaline batch-steeping process and separation methods common to laboratory wet-milling of corn. Starch with a purity of 0.2% protein was obtained from both the pearled and unpearled amaranth. However, more starch was recovered from unpearled amaranth because of the leaching of fine starch granules during steeping. Less germ was recovered using unpearled amaranth.