Value Addition in Maize

Abstract

Globally, maize is the most important coarse grain cereal and well known as “poor man’s nutricereal” due to presence of high content of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and some of the important vitamins and minerals. On the basis of its unique characteristics and nutritional composition specialty, corn is classified into quality protein maize, baby corn, sweet corn, pop corn, green eared corn, high oil corn, etc. Specialty corn has diverse end uses and a number of value-added products can be prepared from it. Quality protein maize differs from normal maize as it contains added amount of essential amino acids such as tryptophan and lysine. Baby corn is the ear, harvested young when the silks have just emerged and no fertilisation has taken place. In sweet corn, the taste of kernels is much sweeter than normal corn. In popcorn when kernels are heated, they explode and produce large puffed flakes (popping). The value-added products prepared from specialty corns are traditional foods, infant foods, health foods, snacks and savory, baked products, etc. Each specialty corn has different recipes. Apart from these products, maize is used to prepare industrial products such as starch, specialty chemicals, ethanol, refined corn oil, sorbitol, cake mixes, candies, carbonated beverages, and cosmetics.