Sweet Corn and Corn-Based Sweeteners

Abstract

Maize or corn is a versatile grain crop with diverse uses. Sweet corn is a type of speciality corn used as fresh or canned vegetable. It has sugar content greater than 25 % during the milking stage. The sweetness of sweet corn is due to a spontaneous mutation in the su (“sugary”) gene of the field corn, which controls conversion of sugar to starch inside the endosperm of the corn kernel. A number of sweet corn varieties and hybrids have been developed incorporating these recessive mutation(s). Package of practices for sweet corn cultivation and post harvest management have been standardized and widely popularized. There are several health benefits associated with sweet corn and a number of dishes using sweet corn are becoming increasingly popular in India. Apart from the sweet corn, which is a special type of corn, normal maize has also significant contribution in the global sugar industry, especially in North America. About one half of all sweeteners consumed in USA are derived from corn. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is produced by converting corn starch to sugars through enzymatic processes. It has replaced the use of cane and beet sugar in food and beverage industry to a great extent. Sweet corn and HFCS, together position corn as an important sugar producing crop of the world.