Corn refining
is today's leading example of value added agriculture. The seven
member companies of the Corn Refiners Association, Inc. use over 1.8 billion bushels of
U.S.-grown corn to produce a broad array of food, industrial and feed
products for Americans and for the world market. Corn refiners use
shelled corn which has been stripped from the cob during harvesting.
Refiners separate the corn into its components
--
starch, oil, protein and fiber -- and convert them into higher value
products.
Corn sweeteners
are the most important refined corn products. Last year, corn sweeteners
supplied more than 55 percent of the U.S. nutritive sweetener market.
The second major refined corn product is ethanol, which
is gaining increasing acceptance as a cleaner burning option for motor
fuels.
The third major corn product -- a mainstay of the industry and of the
U.S. economy -- is
starch. Americans rely on corn refiners for over 90 percent of
their starch needs.
Corn refining is America's premier bioproducts
industry, with increasing production of amino acids, antibiotics and
degradable plastics adding further value to the U.S. corn crop.
In addition to starches, sweeteners and ethanol -- all made from the
starch portion of the corn -- refiners produce corn oil and a
variety of important feed
products.
Learn more about the
history of corn refining, review some important
statistics, and
visit our frequently asked
questions section. We have provided a list of
relevant web links
that you may wish to visit.
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