BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The milling of grain into flour etc. generally comprises a number of steps of which the first step is the conditioning of the grain to prepare it for the actual grinding and separation processes that ultimately provide for a number of final products, such as flour (s), and bran (s).

A number of conditioning processes have been developed for the industrial milling of wheat. The object of conditioning, the central feature of which is the addition of water to grain, is to modify the wheat kernel so that milling can be performed under optimal conditions. Water is added, usually to obtain a moisture content of =16%, and, after storage, which generally lasts several hours, additional water is often added before milling. The optimal amount of water as well as tempering time depends on the properties of the grain. When used, heat is also an important factor, with the mode of application varying as to the process.

Conditioning influences not only milling quality but also the technological quality of the end flour product.

The primary aim of conditioning is to change the mechanical characteristics of the different tissues of the kernel and thereby improve the separability of the endosperm from the outer layers of the grain, notably the bran. The addition of water also triggers a number of biochemical reactions in the kernel, thereby modifying characteristics of its components. These modifications can be amplified by increasing the temperature and the moisture content.

However, improvements in the conditioning of grain in order to obtain an improved separation between the various components, and especially improvements in the yield of the flour in relation to the yield of the bran, are still in demand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now surprisingly been found that by adding enzyme (s) the efficiency of the grain conditioning process can be substantially improved thereby providing for a substantial increase in the yield of flour, and/or reduction of the conditioning time, and/or improvement of the properties of the flour/bran produced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a process for the conditioning of grain is provided, wherein the grain is treated with an enzyme preparation.

It has been found that the process of the invention enhances the yield of flour obtained thereby increasing the value of product, as well as improving the rheological properties of the flour, thereby increasing the usefulness of the product so obtained.

Preferably, the process of the invention provides an enhanced yield of flour.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the invention relates to a process for the conditioning of a grain of the invention, wherein an increased yield of flour is obtained as compared to the yield of flour obtained when performing the same process without the addition of the enzyme preparation.

Examples of such increased flour yields, obtained by a process of the invention, are demonstrated in working example 1 and 3 herein (vide infra).

A further advantage that may be a reduced conditioning time while the present flour yield is still obtained thereby increasing the throughput in the milling plant.

See working example 2 (vide infra) for an example of such a reduced conditioning time while the present flour yield is still obtained.

One example of an enzyme preparation according to the invention is an enzyme complex as described in US Patent No.

4,478,939 or equivalent enzyme complexes. Another example of an enzyme preparation according to the invention is at least one enzyme activity, or a mixture of the enzyme activities selected

from the group comprising proteases, cellulases, pectinases, hemi- cellulases, xylanases, glucanases, ß-glucanases, glucose oxidases, laccases, and amylases.

Such enzyme complexes are available from Novo Nordisk A/S and are known under trade names such as Cereszyme or Viscozyme@, or as SP249; or they can be produced, for example as described in US Patent No. 4,478,939, by fermentation of micro-organisms such as fungi, especially filamentous fungi, such as those belonging to the genus Aspergillus, especially A. aculeatus, and A. japonicus.

The single enzyme activity or the preparations comprising mixtures of such activities can be produced according to known techniques.

Among the activities mentioned above it has been found that the most important ones are pectinase, hemicellulase, xylanase, cellulase, glucose oxidase, and laccase activities.

When performing the process of the invention it is preferred that the enzyme preparation is added in an amount of between 1 g or cm3 enzyme preparation per t of grain and 50000 g or cm3 enzyme preparation per t of grain, preferably between 10 g or cm3 enzyme preparation per t of grain and 2000 g or cm3 enzyme preparation per t of grain, and most preferably between 100 g or cm3 enzyme preparation per t of grain and 2000 g or cm3 enzyme preparation per t of grain.

It has been found that the best economy in respect of performing the complete milling process including the grinding of the grain into flour and bran is obtained if the process of the invention is performed for a time period of from about 4 hours to about 32 hours, preferably from about 6 hours to about 24 hours.

Generally, the preferred conditioning time depends on the actual type of grain and in particular whether it is a soft, mid hard or hard grain.

In the present context a"soft grain"denotes a grain with the following average characteristics: W=80-150, P/L=0.2- 0.5 as measured on an Alveograph (W: strength; P: Tenacity; L: extensibility);

a"mid hard grain"denotes a grain with the following average characteristics W=150-300, P/L= 0.5-0.8 as measured on an Alveograph (W: strength; P: Tenacity; L: extensibility); and a"hard grain"denotes a grain with the following average characteristics: W=300-400, P/L= 0.8-1 as measured on an Alveograph (W: strength; P: Tenacity; L: extensibility).

For further details concerning the measurement of said grain characteristic with an Alveograph reference is made to the Materials and Methods section herein (vide infra).

Preferably, when the grain is a soft or mid hard grain the process of the invention is performed for a time period of from about 4 hours to about 18 hours, preferably from about 4 hours to about 12 hours; and when the grain is a hard grain the process of the invention is performed for a time period of from about 12 hours to about 32 hours, more preferably from about 12 hours to about 28 hours and most preferably from about 15 hours to about 24 hours.

The process of the invention has been found to provide fine results if the grain has a humidity of 10% to 50%.

In this context humidity means % water present in the grain during the conditioning process.

Also, it has been found that the process of the invention works best if the treatment is performed at a temperature between 5°C and 60°C, preferably between 10°C and 40°C, and more preferably between 20°C and 30°C.

The process of the invention can be used for the conditioning of any cereal grain, such as barley, rye, corn, rice, or legume grain, such as alfalfa, soy beans.

Preferably the grain is wheat.

Examples of industries which advantageously may use a process of the invention are industries such as the i) the milling industry for e. g. getting a higher yield of flour; ii) the brewing industry to e. g. get an improved malt from barley; and iii) the starch industry to e. g. get a higher yield of flour or to modify the flour composition such as an fibre enrichment of the flour.

Accordingly, further embodiments of the invention relate to use of a process for the conditioning of grain, according to the invention, in the milling industry; the brewing industry and/or the starch industry.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Grain: Wheat that has a humidity or moisture content below 16% as available on the market.

Enzymepreparations: Cereszyme (Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark): A mixture of hemicellulase, cellulase and pectinase activities with other minor activities.

Viscozymee (Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark): An enzyme complex produced by a filamentous fungus of the genus Aspergillus, especially from the species A. aculeatus.

Activities present in Viscozyme Pectinases: Pectin lyase, pectin esterase, polygalacturonase I, polygalactu- ronase II, polygalacturonase III, rhamnogalacturonan acetyl ester- ase, rhamnogalacturonase I, rhamnogalacturonase II, pectin acetyl esterase, rhamnosidase (s), galacturonosidase (s), glucoronosida- se (s).

Proteases: Protease I, protease II, exo peptidases.

Esterases, Lipases: lipase (s), phospholipase (s), feroylic acid esterase.

Amylases: a-amylase (s), (3-amylase (s), a-glucosidase (s), ß-glucosidase (s).

Chitinases: endo chitinase, exo chitinase.

Hemicellulases, Cellulases: Arabinase, arabinofuranosidase I, arabinofuranosidase II, endo- glucanase I, endoglucanase II, endoglucanase III, endoglucanase IV, galactanase, a-galactosidase, ß-galactosidase, mannanase, xylan acetyl esterase, xylanase I, xylanase II, xylanase III, xylo galacturonase, mannosidase, manan acetyl esterase, cellobioase (s).

Assessment of flour quality: Flour Yields: A CHOPIN Laboratory Mill (model CD1) available from Chopin, France was used for the milling of the grain after conditioning.

The mill separates the ground wheat into two fractions, flour and bran.

Rheological properties: The rheological properties of the flour produced were examined using an Alveograph (available from CHOPIN, France) in accord- ance with the manufacturer's protocol.

These measurements provided the following properties: P: Tenacity L: Extensibility W: Strength expressed in mm.

EXAMPLES EXAMPLE 1 Wheat treatment with Cereszyme° during conditioning time: Three tests were performed using the following amounts and conditions: 1: 600 g of wheat, wetted to 16% humidity,. resting 24 hours (standard).

2: 600 g of wheat, wetted to 16% humidity, resting 24 hours + 400 cm3 Cereszyme per ton grain 3: 600 g of wheat, wetted to 16% humidity, resting 6 hours + 400 cm3 CereszymeM) per ton grain The results from the milling in the Chopin mill and the Alveograph measurements are indicated in Table I and Table II, respectively.

Table I: Flour Yields Test Bran Flour Conditioning time Yield Improvements No. g g Hours % 35024-1.205 38124+8.9%2.187 3. 189 365 6 +4. 5% Table II: Rheological properties Test No. P L P/L W W Improvement % I. 55 116 0.52 206- 2. 60 118 0.56 222 +7% 3.----- From Tables I and II it is seen that the conditioning process of the invention provides for a substantial improvement in respect of both yield and rheological properties of the flour produced. It can also be seen that even when reducing the conditioning time substantially (24 hours => 6 hours) a substantial improvement was obtained in the yield.

EXAMPLE 2 Wheat treatment with Viscozyme# during conditioning time: Two types of wheat grain ( (A) German wheat check and (B) French wheat check) were tested by conditioning samples thereof

without enzyme for 14 hours and with an enzyme product (Viscozyme) for different periods.

Both types of wheat are considered mid hard wheat with average characteristics W=150-300, P/L= 0.5-0.8, measured on an Alveograph as described above.

The tests were performed by using 500 cm3 enzyme per ton grain Tables III and IV show the results.

Table III Flour yields Grain A Resting time Yield Moisture Protein/dry + Enzyme (hours) % subst. None 14 74 15.3 13.89 SP249 4 75. 8 15.8 13.77 SP249 8 75. 8 16 13.62 SP249 12 72. 4 15 13.82 SP249 16 74. 2 16.1 13.6 SP249 20 76 15.9 14 SP249 24 63. 3 15. 8 13.86 Grain B + Enzyme None 14 70. 4 15.3 10.62 SP249 4 70. 2 15.5 10.24 SP249 8 71. 8 16.2 10.21 SP249 12r 73. 8 15.8 10.39 SP249 16 71 15. 7 9.96 Table IV Rheological Properties Grain A Falling W P/L W Degradation + Enzyme 2 hours 2 hours None 351 295 0.56 307 0 SP249 324 356 0.61 326 8.4 SP249 342 353 0.64 342 3.1 SP249 341 340 0.5 313 7.9 SP249 306 366 0.56 352 4 SP249 346 333 0.61 322 3.3 SP249 360 363 0.57 314 13.5 Grain B + Enzyme None 278 200 0. 6 182 9 SP249 272 256 0.72 241 5.9 SP249 289 241 0.61 227 5.8 SP249 275 248 0.53 217 12 SP249 289 205 0.64 181 12

The results confirm once more that a considerably shorter conditioning time can be used by the process of the invention and still obtain the same yields as obtained by the traditional conditioning time.

Viscozyme is a multi-enzyme complex comprising a wide range of carbohydrases, including arabinase, cellulase, ß-glucanase, hemicellulase and xylanase. A more detailed listing of the activities present are given above.

EXAMPLE 3 Evaluation of the influence on yields of flour a hard wheat pre- treated with Viscozyme during conditioning time.

Wheat: GAZUL, hard wheat, average characteristics: W=300-400, P/L= 0.8-1.

Enzyme Dose: 400cm3 of Viscozyme pr lton of wheat.

Conditioning time: 24 hours Assessments: Alveograph parameters: W: Baking Strength, P: Tenacity, L: Extensibility, P/L: ratio. (see above) Table V: Yields of flour produced from wheat processed. W P L P/L YIELDS % 851470.5773.4Wheat393 Wheat+ VISCOZYME 348 78 143 0.54 78.2 Technical Conclusions: The process of the invention significantly increases the flour yield obtained from the hard wheat.