Maize germs, Germ contributes about 11% of the kernel weight, contains 45-50% oil and about 85% of the oil kernel. The germ is a distinct entity that can be easily separated and then extracted to produce maize oil, yielding maize germ oil meal as the main by-product. The germs themselves are obtained from maize processing from wet milling (starch production) or dry milling (maize grits, maize flour, maize meal and ethanol production).
