Field corn

Large-scale applications for field corn include: • Livestock fodder, whether as whole cobs (for hogs only), whole or ground kernels, or (after chopping and ensilage) the entire above-ground portion of the unripe plant • Cereal products including corn flour, corn meal, hominy, grits, nixtamal, tortillas, corn bread, and cold breakfast cereals (such as corn flakes). • Other processed human-food products including corn starch, corn oil, corn syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup. • Alcohols such as ethanol, butanol, and isobutanol, and ethanol-based alcoholic drinks such as . • Adhesives, plastic, gels, and thickeners from starch In some parts of Latin America and Mexico, field corn consumption far exceeds that of sweet corn. In the United States, field corn is not generally regarded as desirable for human food without commercial pre-processing. A variety of field corn is also commonly eaten in Andean South America and is known as Cuzco corn. == Wet mills ==

Field corn is processed for its various uses in what are known as "wet mills". These types of mills are different from traditional mills in that they take apart a cob of corn and process its various parts into products for consumption. The yellow skin of the kernel, for example, is separated from the dark germ, which is essentially the seed. While the yellow skin is usually used to produce nutritional supplements and vitamins, the germ is used to produce oil. The endosperm, which is the largest part of a corn kernel, has the most uses. Its carbohydrate molecules are taken apart to produce the organic compounds used in many products. Examples of these organic compounds include citric and lactic acid, glucose, fructose, and ethanol. Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland are the two largest corn processing companies in the United States. == References ==