Corn is nature’s renewable building block and plays a role every day in our lives. It’s a versatile resource that can be used for just about everything – from making our food taste better and our cosmetics last longer, to making our packaging more environmentally friendly and our medicines easier to swallow.

The kernel of innovation is everywhere – including in our office! Explore all the products corn is in below:


Printing Ink

Different inks require different “body.” Some are soft and fluid, like newsprint, while others are thick and stiff. Cornstarch is added to control consistency.

Self-Repairing Paint

German researchers are developing paint for cars that is derived from cornstarch and automatically repairs minor scratches.

Pharmaceuticals

Cornstarch is a key ingredient in cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), which coats pills to ensure their structural integrity, ease of swallowing, & timed release of medicine inside.

Salad Dressing

A variety of salad dressings use corn oil for its clean flavor and polyunsaturated fats, which help lower cholesterol.

Oil Drilling

Drilling fluid, which cleans and cools the drill bit, contains cornstarch, which ensures the appropriate viscosity.

Oral Surgery

Zein is the principal protein in corn & is extracted from corn gluten meal. It can be spun into fibers & biological scaffolding, then used to help repair damage in & around teeth.

Savory Snacks

Maltodextrin keeps the seasonings on savory, baked snack products evenly distributed and securely in place, while helping reduce fat content.

Plaster of Paris

Cornstarch helps reduce curing time and works as a drying agent.

Pickles

Lactic acid is used to help preserve pickles and give them their tart flavor.

Poultry Feed

Corn gluten meal provides energy, essential fatty acids, and amino acids, and helps give egg yolks their golden yellow color.

Pig Feed

Corn germ meal is rich in highly digestible amino acids and is a good source of protein for pig diets.

Packaging: Paper Boxes

Dextrin is an adhesive that gives shape to paper box packaging, like cereal boxes.