Effects of corn drying and storage conditions on flour, starch, feed, and ethanol production: a review

The objective was to review the effects of the drying and storage conditions of corn on the physical–chemical quality in the processing of starch and flour, in the production of animal feed, and in the industrialization of ethanol. Initially, the review presented an overview of the post-harvest stages of corn grains, highlighting drying and storage. The main drying and storage methods used for corn grains were presented. Among the drying conditions, the air temperature was the main factor that affected the properties of starch, flour, feed, and ethanol produced from corn. It was verified that the corn grains submitted to drying at temperatures below 60 °C obtained better results in the industry. In storage, in addition to the storage time, factors such as temperature and moisture content of the grains affected the physical–chemical quality of the processed products. In this stage, the moisture content below 14% and the storage temperature below 25 °C conserved the physical–chemical quality of the grains and obtained better processing results. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of the drying and storage conditions of corn on the properties of flour, starch, animal feed, and, mainly, ethanol production. Graphical abstract