Research in FDA and USDA laboratories indicate that foods made from white sorghum were lower in fat and higher in protein than corn. Breakfast cereals, precooked noodles and other snack foods such as cheese puffs are some of the items being developed now. There are also many industrial uses for grain sorghum. It has been used as a material in producing wallboard for the housing industry in addition to being used as an ingredient in biodegradable packaging materials. But, the most exciting and growing industrial use would be the utilization of grain sorghum in ethanol production.
Ethanol is a proven, safe and effective oxygenate for gasoline.
A recent executive order by the Governor of California calling for a phase-out of MTBE has caused an increase in the market for ethanol. MTBE is a petroleum-based oxygenate that caused contamination of water in California and across the nation. This increase in the market for ethanol could increase national demand for feed grains such as sorghum. Currently, it is a non-GMO crop which could be utilized in domestic and foreign markets. It has potential for filling part of the demans in the market once there for corn in human food items, companion animal feed and livestock rations.