The link below describes the process. Corn is first processed into hominy (which removes the hull and germ), then dried and milled into masa flour. Yes, it's a refined processed flour. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia - Masa

Grainlady,

Thanks for your response.

I read the link you provided.

However, I'm still not clear on whether Maseca is a refined flour. Have you seen these links:

http://wholegrainscouncil.org/find-whole-grains/flour?term_node_tid_depth=59

http://www.mimaseca.com/en/productos-maseca/d/maseca-corn-flour/1

I guess what I'm really trying to figure out is whether Maseca would be considered whole grain.

This post was edited by stripedbass on Thu, Jan 22, 15 at 10:13

I think the Whole Grains Council is mistaken to consider Maseca as a whole grain product - the label says 100% NATURAL, not whole grain, and there isn't a 100% Whole Grain stamp on the bag.

In order to make hominy (which is what masa and maseca flour is milled from) the germ and hull (bran) is generally removed. The germ is removed in order to make it shelf-stable. The oil in the germ goes rancid quickly. Therefore masa and maseca flour don't contain all three parts of a whole grain - germ, bran, and endosperm.

I have purchased dried hominy from Rancho Gordo and milled my own masa flour. I thought I could mill it into P.A.N. flour (precooked cornmeal flour) for making arepas, but it didn't work for that use. Rancho Gordo dried hominy is processed by removing the "skins", which is the hull or bran, but they leave the germ (which is where the oil and nutrition is located).

I mill my own cornmeal from whole grain corn, so it's 100% whole grain.

-Grainlady

If this is something you want to use, why does it matter whether it's a whole grain or not?

The Whole Grain Council is an industry organization, but it's silly for outsiders to criticize its finding without knowing the standards and information the insiders have. Or indeed, what standards they don't have.

Looks to me like "Maseca" is a brand name for masa harina, and it might be a contraction of masa (dough) and seca (dry).