Corn: It's Everywhere

Corn is a staple food for many countries and cultures around the world. Just think of all of the ways corn is used in our diet on a regular basis. Of course there is the standard side dish; the yellow kernels steamy and warm, lightly salted with a touch of butter. My favorite is the whole ear of sweet corn with a thin layer of brushed on butter. Maybe you prefer corn as a tool for delivery of other foods, such as chips or tortillas.

Cornbread, chips, crackers, whole corn floating in soups and stews, corn ground into grits, polenta, or mush (depending on where you are from), mashed into flakes or different shapes in breakfast cereals, popcorn heated until it pops into different white shapes...we eat corn in so many different days everyday.

But my purpose for writing this post is to talk about other ways that you consume corn. Ways that you may or may not already be aware of.

I think everyone is aware that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a product derived from corn. That should be pretty obvious since it is in the name. So every time you drink a (non-diet) soda, Gatorade, or most fruit drinks, you are consuming a derivative of corn. Don’t forget ketchup & mayonnaise. It’s in there, too.

And there’s corn oil. It is used as a main source of cooking in today’s American Standard Diet. So, if you have eaten anything fried lately, there’s a pretty good chance it was fried in corn oil. Corn oil is obtained by smashing the germ of the corn kernel. 

But what about the other ways can corn be broken down and processed? How is it that corn is in just about every processed food we eat? You may not be aware of it, but corn is wet-milled and broken down into simple structures and re-made into many different types of consumable items we partake of everyday. 

What is wet-milling of corn? Think of it as industrial digestion. Only the byproducts of wet-milled corn are not waste. The broken down byproducts are then used in various different ways to process our foods.

Let’s take a look at some now.

Instant tea, instant coffee and instant soup mixes contain maltodextrin, which comes from the milling process of corn. Completely soluble in water and with little to no sweetness, it can be sprayed on any food product that needs to remain free flowing. 

Dextrin is another form of corn that has been processing through the milling process. It is very similar to maltodextrin. Dextrin and Maltodextrin can be used in sauces and dressings as  thickening agent. Although these additives can be made from any starch, they most commonly come from corn here in the United States.

Another derivative of corn is the thickening agent, Xanthan gum. Look for it on ingredients of sauces, dairy products, and ice cream. The name comes from the bacteria that is used to breakdown the sugar in corn starch to form Xanthan gum, Xanthomonas campestris. This is the same bacteria that causes black rot on broccoli and other leafy vegetables. 

Baking powder contains starch. The source of starch in most baking powders is from corn.

Then there’s beer. The starch that most beer makers use to conjure up their brew is made from corn (Budweiser is an exception — its starch is from rice. Busch beer’s starch is from corn, though. Natty Light’s is also).

Monosodium Glutamate, or commonly known as MSG, is a derivative of corn that is used as a flavor enhancer. Most know it as a product commonly found in Chinese food, but it can be found in more than just your favorite Asian dinner. It is also used in packaged foods you purchase at the grocery store.

Corn products is also used in other non-consumable items such as toothpaste, tires, pharmaceuticals, ethanol and gypsum wallboard. But we don’t eat those things so I won’t focus on them here.

Corn is all around us. It is not just in the fields, it is in our home and in our bodies. We have become a nation dependant on corn. There is much more to consider than how we eat corn. Did you know that the majority of the corn we grow is not eaten by humans? Did you know that almost every farmer in the U.S. can’t grow corn at a profit, so the federal government steps in to make up the difference? But that is for another post at another time. For now, enjoy eating corn in your favorite way. I recommend purchasing it from a local farmer. 

Enjoy!