Corn is commonly eaten right off the cob, but it is also consumed and used in many other products, from baby food to sandpaper to golf tees. From these stages, the elements are further processed into cornstarch for industrial uses to make a number of things such as bookbinding, cleaning products and batteries. Cornstarch is also used in food for human and animal consumption as well as in drugs and cosmetics. Corn kernels can be processed into corn syrup for industrial and food uses like carbonated beverages and wine and into dextrose, which is found in products like explosives, chewing gum, and rayon. And, recently, corn is being touted for its use in making ethanol, a gasoline additive.
Advocates say use of ethanol results in a cleaner burning gasoline.
However, between 1950 and 1970 there was a significant decline in demand for white corn because of its low yield, making it less competitive than yellow corn, which quickly began to dominate the market. Not surprisingly, research on white corn declined, creating a situation of great concern for those industries that use white corn to make their products such as grits, corn meal and tortilla chips. These concerns prompted the corn milling industry to initiate research support on white corn around 1975. Many companies turned to universities to conduct that research. More recently, however, white corn acreage has expanded to an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 acres as major grain buyers have begun a buying program for white corn.