A process for recovering a starch slurry from a starch-bearing material such as corn, potatoes or wheat, is characterized in that water being used in the process is separated, e.g. by reverse osmosis, into two fractions, including a first fraction [permeate] of low solubles and insolubles content which is recycled and used for washing the starch. In Figure 3, water containing gluten from the primary separation station of a corn wet milling process is separated by reverse osmosis into a first fraction which is recycled and used to wash starch, and a second fraction which passes to a gluten concentrator. he separation step reduces the water requirements of the process and reduces the volume of effluent for evaporation or disposal.
