Description

Most people know corn as a food; something you put in a salad or eat at the cinema, but its uses extend far beyond just that. In fact, human consumption is a relatively unimportant use of corn. The bulk of corn produced in the US – around two-thirds of it – is used in ethanol fuel or as livestock feed.

It’s used in a diverse range of industries, including:

• Oil and Gas

Corn is a key component in the production of ethanol, an ingredient in gasoline

• Livestock Feed

95% of the feed grain produced in the US is corn.

• Plastics

As the ongoing movement towards the use of environmentally-sustainable materials continues to gain steam, companies are under more pressure to use alternatives to plastic. To achieve this, many businesses have turned to corn-based plastics, which are more environmentally-friendly and cheaper to manufacture.

• Confectionary

Confectionary items such as candy and soft drinks use high-fructose corn syrup, made from corn starch, as a sweetener.

As you can see, corn is all around us. The above constitutes just a small number of ways in which corn is commonly used but there are many more