Maize Utilization in India: An Overview

Abstract

Maize is cultivated widely throughout the world and has the highest production among all the cereals. It is considered as one of the fastest growing cash crops in the world becoming the largest component of global coarse-grain trade. Maize is preferred staple food for 900 million poor, 120 ‐140 million poor farm families, and about one‐third of all malnourished children globally. With changing global food demands and consumer choices maize is now becoming the wonder crop for many countries especially in developing countries like India. Maize is the third most important food grain following wheat and rice for Indian population. More than half of the total maize production of India is produced in four states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. In spite of wide range of health benefits offered by maize as a source of high fiber, antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals, major portion of maize is still not being used for human consumption and goes for poultry and animal feed. In India, even after achieving self-sufficiency in cereals and grains production, about 50 per cent children are still fighting with malnutrition. Maize being the cheap crop, has the potential to be the first choice for poor and underprivileged population. Nutritional and clinical benefits of the maize if exploited well with the strategic interventions through value added maize product development, utilization and commercialization will support in ensuring better health of the Indian population. Availability of value added food products of maize on industrial level will ensure better nutritional and livelihood security. Commercialization, promotion, and adoption of maize based value added food products will not only ensure higher return to farmers but also generate employment for women and youth with improved dietary diversity in food choices to the consumers.

Full text

American Journal of Food and Nutrition, 2016, Vol. 4, No. 6, 169-176
Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajfn/4/6/5
©Science and Education Publishing
DOI:10.12691/ajfn-4-6-5
Maize Utilization in India: An Overview
Murdia L. K.1,*, Wadhwani R.2, Wadhawan N.3, Bajpai P.4, Shekhawat S.4
1Professor and Dean, CDFST, MPUAT, Udaipur, India
2Senior Research Scientist, Leprino Foods Company, Denver, USA
3Assistant Professor, CDFST, MPUAT, Udaipur, India
4Senior Research Fellow, Centre of Excellence on Processing & Value Addition of Maize, Udaipur, India
*Corresponding author: murdia1.lalit27@gmail.com
Abstract Maize is cultivated widely throughout the world and has the highest production among all the cereals. It
is considered as one of the fastest growing cash crops in the world becoming the largest component of global coarse-
grain trade. Maize is preferred staple food for 900 million poor, 120 ‐140 million poor farm families, and about
one‐third of all malnourished children globally. With changing global food demands and consumer choices maize is
now becoming the wonder crop for many countries especially in developing countries like India. Maize is the third
most important food grain following wheat and rice for Indian population. More than half of the total maize
production of India is produced in four states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. In
spite of wide range of health benefits offered by maize as a source of high fiber, antioxidants and other vitamins and
minerals, major portion of maize is still not being used for human consumption and goes for poultry and animal feed.
In India, even after achieving self-sufficiency in cereals and grains production, about 50 per cent children are still
fighting with malnutrition. Maize being the cheap crop, has the potential to be the first choice for poor and
underprivileged population. Nutritional and clinical benefits of the maize if exploited well with the strategic
interventions through value added maize product development, utilization and commercialization will support in
ensuring better health of the Indian population. Availability of value added food products of maize on industrial
level will ensure better nutritional and livelihood security. Commercialization, promotion, and adoption of maize
based value added food products will not only ensure higher return to farmers but also generate employment for
women and youth with improved dietary diversity in food choices to the consumers.
Keywords: maize, production, Quality Protein Maize (QPM), malnutrition, value addition
Cite This Article: Murdia L. K., Wadhwani R., Wadhawan N., Bajpai P., and Shekhawat S., “Maize
Utilization in India: An Overview.” American Journal of Food and Nutrition, vol. 4, no. 6 (2016): 169-176.
doi: 10.12691/ajfn-4-6-5.
1. Introduction
Cereal grains are important staple foods providing
substantial amounts of energy, protein and micronutrients
for much of the world’s population. The nutrients in
cereals are distributed unevenly throughout the grain and
are known to have potential for reducing the risk of
Coronary Heart Disease, reducing tumour incidence,
cancer risk, lowering blood pressure, reduced rate of
cholesterol and fat absorption etc. Thus the diet with
regular inclusion of cereals can contribute much to health
promotion and disease prevention. The major cereals
include wheat, maize, rice, barley, sorghum, millet, oats,
and rye. They are grown on nearly 60 per cent of the
cultivated land in the world. Wheat, maize, rice etc. are
now employed in preparation of foods that are similar in
appearance to conventional foods and used in normal diet
but have an added advantage of aiding physiological
functions along with providing nutrition. It is a good
source of many nutrients including thiamine, pantothenic
acid, folate, dietary fibre, vitamin, phosphorous and
manganese. Corn’s contribution to heart health lies not
just in its fibre but in the significant amounts of folate that
corn supplies. It also contains cryptoxanthin, a natural
carotenoid pigment which has the potential to reduce lung
cancer. The phenolic content in maize helps in free radical
scavenging activity. Historically, demand for the grain
was driven by the poultry and starch industries. But with
changing food habits, the demand for food additives
derived from maize is also growing. The demand for
starch is strong and is growing 10 to 12 per cent every
year due to rising consumption in the food and pharma
industry [1]. Maize starch, an excellent source of
carbohydrates, is a highly versatile industrial raw material
and finds extensive applications in the textile, food,
pharmaceutical and paper industries. Maize is preferred in
poultry feed because of its easy availability. India has
grown to be the fifth largest egg producer globally and
18th largest producer of broiler chicken. In poultry feed
industry maize constitutes about 60 per cent of the feed
and therefore is a critical raw material. International maize
trade is now larger than the international rice trade. India
is one of the beneficiaries of the booming international
maize trade. The country exported a record five million
tonnes of maize in 2012/13, valued at Rs. 7,000 crore and
is now the fourth-largest maize exporter after the US,

American Journal of Food and Nutrition 170
Brazil and Ukraine. In the last five years, exports have
doubled and by 2025, maize will be the developing
world’s largest crop and it is expected that the demand for
maize in the developing world will be doubled by 2050.
Due to its wide applications in variety of products maize is
also referred to as the ‘Queen of Cereals’. It is found that
nearly one-fourth of the stock in a modern grocery store
contain maize in one form or the other. Besides as a food
source as Maize rich breakfast cereals, cooking oils,
snacks and popcorn, the products include from toothpaste,
detergent, paper, dyes, soaps to artificial sweeteners,
fructose, etc. Maize also finds application in food
containers, plastic food packaging, baby powder, diapers,
medicine, vitamin tablets, textile products, candies and so
on. Internationally, maize has been processed to produce
bioethanol in a big way for blending with auto fuels. In
fact, maize is the only cereal that has such diverse uses.
Maize is the first major cereal crop to benefit from
hybridization. Spurring maize production in the country is
technological intervention in the form of hybridization. It
involves crossing two genetically different plants to
produce a desired seed that can grow high yielding plants.
The transgenic varieties in India, include HQPM-1, 4,5,7 9,
Vivek, Shaktiman-1,2,3,4. Currently, hybrids constitute
only about 30 per cent of the area in India under maize
compared with 85 per cent in the USA. It is estimated that
the area under hybrids will go up to 90 per cent by 2050.
In India maize used to be a subsistence crop for the
farmers few years ago but with the rising allocation of
wheat and rice at affordable prices in the public
distribution system at the central as well as the state level,
farmers have moved away from maize consumption and it
has led to a rise in its marketable surplus. Direct
consumption of maize is expected to dip further with
rising prosperity levels in rural India. Thus it becomes
more imperative to ensure better price discovery of maize.
Maize is mostly grown by small and marginal farmers.
Hence, improved price discovery and better realization of
crops become key in giving a push to maize production in
India
Maize can be grown over a range of agro-climatic
zones and this quality makes it a versatile crop. Maize is
suitable to be grown in diverse environmental conditions
which is not possible for any other crop. It is grown from
58°N to 40°S, from below sea level to altitudes higher
than 3000 m, and in areas with 250 mm to more than 5000
mm of rainfall per year [3,4] and with a growing cycle
ranging from 3 to 13 months [2]. However, the major
maize production areas are located in temperate regions of
the globe. The United States, China, Brazil and Mexico
account for 70 per cent of global production. India has 5
per cent of maize acreage and contributes 2 per cent of
world production [4]. The use of maize varies in different
countries. Maize is used mainly as a feed for animals
directly or sold to industries dealing with feed and fodder
and as raw material for extractive/ fermentation industries
in the US, EU, Canada and other developed countries,
[6,7,8] and [9] whereas main use of maize is for food in
Latin America and Africa. In Asia maize is being utilized
for human nutrition as well as animal nutrition. In other
developing countries utilization pattern of maize is
variable. The fact is that maize is being exploited and
consumed in many countries and it is an important
ingredient in the diets of people. According to an estimate
approximately 21 per cent of the total grain produced is
consumed as food globally. In Indian Scenario maize is
the third most important food grain following wheat and
rice. About 28 per cent of maize produced is utilized for
food purpose, about 11 per cent for livestock feed, 48 per
cent for poultry feed, 12 per cent in wet milling industry
(for example starch and oil production) and 1 per cent as
seed goes in India [9]. The highest growth rate for the
maize has been registered in the last one decade among all
food grains including wheat and rice because of newly
emerging food habits, consumer awareness about health as
well as enhanced industrial requirements.
Two thirds of studies predict decline in overall yield of
over 10 per cent by 2050, meaning that developing
countries would have to increase maize imports by 24 per
cent at an annual cost of US $30 billion. In China, over
30.2 million hectares of prime agricultural land is
dedicated to maize production but even this is not enough.
China became a net importer of maize for the first time in
14 years in 2011 and by 2015; China is expected to import
15 million tons of maize from the US alone. In 2010,
Indonesia imported 1.6 million tons of maize and it is
estimated that Indonesia imported 3.2 million tons in 2012.
Japan – the world’s largest importer of maize – imports an
estimated 16 million tons of maize annually. By 2050,
global maize consumption is expected to increase from 32
to 52 kilograms per person per year [2]. For industrialized
countries, maize shortages and declining yields mean
increased prices. However, for developing countries,
maize shortages result in increased malnutrition for
children, higher rates of poverty for smallholder farmers
and extended periods of hunger for families. Positive
nutritional and economic features (easy to grow, harvest
and store) have made maize a competitive crop, which has
helped lower the price of food staples such as meat and
dairy products. Rapid increases in poultry consumption in
Africa and developing countries is a major factor
contributing to the increased use of maize for livestock
feed [2].
In India, maize is the third most important food crops
after rice and wheat. According to advance estimate its
production is likely to be 22.23 M tonnes (2012-13)
mainly during Kharif season which covers 80 per cent
area. Maize in India, contributes nearly 9 per cent in the
national food basket. In addition to staple food for human
being and quality feed for animals, maize serves as a basic
raw material as an ingredient to thousands of industrial
products that includes starch, oil, protein, alcoholic
beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, cosmetic,
film, textile, gum, package and paper industries etc.
Maize is cultivated throughout the year in all states of
the country for various purposes including grain, fodder,
green cobs, sweet corn, baby corn, popcorn in peri-urban
areas. The predominant maize growing states that
contributes more than 80 per cent of the total maize
production are Andhra Pradesh (20.9 %), Karnataka
(16.5 %), Rajasthan (9.9 %), Maharashtra (9.1 %), Bihar
(8.9 %), Uttar Pradesh (6.1 %), Madhya Pradesh (5.7 %),
Himachal Pradesh (4.4 %). Apart from these states maize
is also grown in Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern
states. Hence, the maize has emerged as important crop in
the non-traditional regions i.e. peninsular India as the state
like Andhra Pradesh which ranks 5th in area (0.79 m ha)
has recorded the highest production (4.14 m t) and

171 American Journal of Food and Nutrition
productivity (5.26 t ha-1) in the country although the
productivity in some of the districts of Andhra Pradesh is
more or equal to the USA.
The demand for maize is spiraling in India. Maize is an
important cereal of India and is grown over 4 per cent of
the net area sown of the country. There have been large
variations in the production of maize in India since
Independence. It was only 1.7 million tonnes in 1950-51
which rose to 4.1 million tonnes in 1960-61 and 7.5
million tonnes in 1970-71. Thereafter, the production has
been variable till 1984-85 when it further rose to 84.42
lakh tones. The production fell to 57.21 in the drought
year of 1987-88. Since then it has been steadily increasing.
Year 2003-04 was the record year when all the three
aspects of maize viz., production, area and yield were the
highest. India produced 14.7 million tonnes of maize from
7.4 million hectares of land with an average yield of 1963
kg/hectare in that year. Maize is grown throughout the
year in India though it is predominantly a kharif crop with
85 per cent of the area under cultivation in the season [3].
Maize is the third most important crop after wheat and rice
accounts for 9 per cent of total food grain production in
the India. The arid lands of Rajasthan are especially suited
to maize cultivation where it is grown in Udaipur,
Bhilwara, Dungurpur, Chittaurgarh and Banswara districts.
Rajasthan has the largest area under maize cultivation and
this state gives the lowest yields among all the major
maize producing states of India.
Table 1. State wise maize cultivation statistics 2010-11
State Area under
hybrids (%)
Area under
cultivation (mn
hectare)
Yield
(tones/hectare)
Karnataka 100 1.3 3.5
Rajasthan 25 1.1 1.8
Madhya
Pradesh
16 0.8 1.2
Maharashtra 100 0.9 2.9
Andhra
Pradesh
100 0.7 5.3
Uttar
Pradesh
21 0.8 1.5
Bihar 80 0.6 2.2
Gujrat 21 0.5 1.6
Tamil Nadu 100 0.2 4.5
Others 60 1.5 2.1
All India 60 8.6 2.5
Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of
Agriculture and Cooperation.
Almost all the districts of the north Ganga plain
produce maize but the major production comes from
Samastipur, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Purbi
Champaran and Siwan districts. The hilly areas of
Himachal Pradesh are also well suited to maize cultivation.
Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur and Chamba districts occupy an
important position in the production of maize. Among the
other producers are Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. In Punjab, cultivation of
maize has given place to other kharif crops and its
production has drastically fallen from 7 lakh tonnes in
1977-78 to 3.10 lakh tonnes in 2002-10. Still Jalandhar,
Kapurthala, Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Faridkot and
Patiala are important maize producing districts [24].
Figure 1.
Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of
Agriculture and Cooperation
2. Taxonomy, Origin and Evolution of
maize
Maize belongs to the tribe Maydeae of the grass family
Poaceae. “Zea” was derived from an old Greek name for a
food grass. The genus Zea consists of four species of
which Zea mays L. is economically important. The other
Zea sp., referred to as teosinte, is largely wild grass native
to Mexico and Central America. The number of
chromosomes in Zea mays is 2 n = 20.
Tribe Maydeae comprises seven genera which are
recognized, namely Old and New World groups. Old
World comprises Coix (2n = 10/20), Chionachne (2n =
20), Sclerachne (2n = 20), Trilobachne (2n = 20) and
Polytoca (2n = 20), and New World group has Zea and
Tripsacum. It is generally agreed that maize phylogeny
was largely determined by the American genera Zea and
Tripsacum, however it is accepted that the genus Coix
contributed to the phylogenetic development of the
species Zea mays. The individual maize grain is
botanically a caryopsis, a dry fruit containing a single seed
fused to the inner tissues of the fruit case. The seed
contains two sister structures, a germ which includes the
plumule and radical from which a new plant will develop,
and an endosperm which will provide nutrients for that
germinating seedling until the seedling establishes
sufficient leaf area to become autotrophy. The germ is the
source of maize “vegetable oil” (total oil content of maize
grain is 4% by weight). The endosperm occupies about
two thirds of a maize kernel’s volume and accounts for
approximately 86 per cent of its dry weight. The maize
endosperm is of various colors: blackish, bluish-gray,
purple, green, red, white and yellow. When ground into
flour, maize yields more flour with much less bran than
wheat does. It lacks the protein gluten of wheat and,
therefore, makes baked goods with poor rising capability.
A genetic variant that accumulates more sugar and less
starch in the ear is consumed as a vegetable and is called
sweet corn. While yellow maize derive their color from
lutein and zeaxanthin, in red-colored maizes, the kernel
coloration is due to anthocyanins and phlobaphenes. [33].
These latter substances are synthesized in the flavonoids

American Journal of Food and Nutrition 172
synthetic pathway. Globally, it is cultivated on nearly 150
m ha in about 160 countries having wider diversity of soil,
climate, biodiversity and management practices that
contributes 36 per cent (782 mt) in the global grain
production. The United States of America (USA) is the
largest producer of maize contributes nearly 35 per cent of
the total production in the world and maize is the driver of
the US economy. The USA has the highest productivity (>
9.6 t ha-1) which is double than the global average (4.92 t
ha-1). Whereas, the average productivity in India is 2.43 t
ha-1. Maize (Zea mays) belongs to the family of grasses
(Poaceae). Maize cultivated globally and considered one
of the most important cereal crops on the globe. The term
“maize” is derived from the primeval word “mahiz” from
the Taino language of the indigenous people of pre-
Columbian America which is now an extinct language. It
is believed maize was taken back to Europe by Columbus
and other explorers with them and it spread across the
business routes of Africa, Europe and Asia in the early
1500s and 1600s. When Europeans were familiarized to
maize, they named maize as “corn,” which was a general
term for any grain at that time but has since then come to
refer specifically to maize in the U.S. Today the terms
maize and corn are often used interchangeably, with one
being used more commonly than the other in certain
regions or contexts, though in some European countries
“corn” may also refer to wheat or barley.
3. Nutritional Significance of Maize
Maize as a crop is at par excellence for food, feed and
industrial utilization however, it is deficient in essential
amino acid, lysine and tryptophan. The composition of
edible portion of maize (dry) is given in Table 2.
Table 2. Nutritional composition of maize
Calories 342.0 Calcium 10.0
Moisture (g) 14.9 Iron 2.3
Carbohydrates (g) 66.2 Potassium 286.0
Protein 11.1 Magnesium 139.0
Fat 3.6 Copper 0.14
Fibre 2.7 Amino Acids 1.78
Minerals 1.5 Riboflavin 0.10
Phosphorus 348.0 Thiamine 0.42
Sodium 15.9 Vitamin C 0.12
Sulphur 114.0 Carotene 90.0
Source: Gopalan et al., 2007[15]
3.1. Proteins of Maize
Several million people, particularly in the developing
countries, derive their protein and calorie requirements
from maize. With high content of carbohydrates, fats,
proteins and some of important vitamins and minerals,
maize acquired a well-deserved reputation as a poor man’s
nutria-cereal. Animal protein, of course being of higher
quality, is scarce and expensive, thereby unavailable to a
vast sector of the population. Therefore, this vast segment
of human population depends upon cereals for their
nutrition and livelihood. Protein from cereals including
normal maize, have poor nutritional value because of
reduced content of essential amino-acids such as lysine
and tryptophan leading to harmful consequences such as
growth retardation, protein energy mal-nutrition, anemia,
pellagra, free radical damage etc. As a consequence, the
use of maize as food is decreasing day by day among
health conscious people [18].
Overall, proteins of maize, sorghum, millet, and rice are,
in part, related and differ significantly from those of wheat,
rye, barley, and oats. According to the amino acid
composition they contain less glutamine and proline and
more hydrophobic amino acids such as leucine. Maize
storage proteins, called zeins, can be sub grouped into
alcohol-soluble monomeric zeins and cross-linked zeins
alcohol soluble only on heating or after reduction of
disulfide bonds. With respect to different structures zeins
have been divided into four different subclasses [28]. a –
Zeins are the major subclass (791–85per cent of total
zeins), followed by g - (10–20%), b - (1–5%) and d -zeins
(1–5%), respectively. a -Zeins are monomeric proteins
with apparent MW of 19,000 and 22,000 determined by
SDS-PAGE. Their amino acid sequences contain up to ten
tandem repeats [29]. Proteins of the other subclasses are
cross-linked by disulfide bonds and their subunits have
apparent MW of 18,000 and 27,000 (g -zein), 18,000 (b -
zein), and 10,000 (d -zein).
Hybrid maize has specific features of having balanced
amount of amino acids with high content of lysine and
tryptophan and low content of leucine & isoleucine the
balanced proportion of all these essential amino acid in
quality protein maize enhances the biological value of
protein. The biological value of protein in these is just
double than that of normal maize protein which is very
close to the milk protein as the biological value of milk
and QPM proteins are 90 and 80 per cent respectively
whereas it is less than 50 per cent in normal maize protein.
4. Malnutrition and Maize
Millions of people around the world suffer from
‘Hidden Hunger or micronutrient deficiency. They do not
get enough micronutrients required to lead healthy
productive lives from the foods that they eat. The diets of
poor people in developing countries usually consists of
very high amounts of staple foods (such as wheat, rice and
maize) but few micronutrient –rich foods such as fruits
and vegetables and animal and fish products. The
consequences of malnutrition are devastating and can
result in blindness, stunting and even death. People across
Asia depend on maize, rice and wheat but these staple
crops do not meet daily dietary requirements and are
deficient in essential vitamins (such as Vitamin A) and
micronutrients such as iron and zinc. Nearly 200 million
children, younger than five years, are undernourished for
protein, which is a major national challenge. In this
context, maize could play an important role worldwide
[18]. Endowed with high content of carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, some of the important vitamins and minerals,
maize has acquired reputation of being poor man's
nutritious food. Currently, utilization of maize as food
crop is only 25 per cent, whereas its use for animal and
poultry feed is almost 60 per cent. Another option is
increasing area under hybrid varieties could lead to
improved human nutrition and availability of low-cost

173 American Journal of Food and Nutrition
high quality feed for which internal demand is increasing
at much faster pace. Also, transgenic varieties could be a
cheaper source of protein for the children and thus can be
used effectively as mid-day meal schemes.
Hybrid maize particularly QPM is an improved variety
which contains higher amount of lysine and tryptophan
with lower amount of leucine and isoleucine in the
endosperm than those contained in normal maize. Such
balanced combination of amino acids in the endosperm
results into its higher biological value ensuring more
availability of protein to human and animal than normal
maize or even all cereals and pulses. As more than 85 per
cent of the maize is used directly for food and feed, the
quality has a great role for food and nutritional security in
the country.
5. Benefits of Maize
The composition of maize endows it with many health
benefits. The high fiber content prevents constipation and
colorectal cancer. Antioxidants neutralize the effects of
harmful free radicals that cause diseases like cancer. The
antioxidant beta cryptoxanthin prevents lung cancer, while
lutein prevents age related vision loss. Antioxidants slow
cognitive decline and conditions like Alzheimer's. Vitamin
C boosts immunity and fights infections, while the
presence of vitamin E gives maize anti-aging properties
[34].
Thiamine is required for boosting memory, cognitive
functions and nerve health, and pantothenic acid is
essential for energy, as it is linked to carbohydrate, protein
and lipid metabolism. Folate is an essential requirement,
especially during pregnancy. The phosphorus helps to
maintain normal growth, kidney function and bone health.
Magnesium boosts the latter, as well as regulates the heart
rate. Finally, maize lowers LDL cholesterol and guards
against cardiac diseases, diabetes and hypertension.
The traditional maize, like other cereals, also provides
proteins, lipids and little water. Maize has also diuretic
properties when taken as a tea and is a component in
certain oils, corn oil and syrup. One of the nutritional
benefits of maize comes from its rich carbohydrate that is
derived from its abundant starch. Maize is also very rich
in thiamine or vitamin B1, which is necessary for the brain
to absorb glucose and to transform that food into energy.
Biotin or Vitamin B7 give nutritional benefits to maize,
since the deficiency of this vitamin in the body affects the
state of the skin and hair. The nutritional benefits of maize
are also determined by its vitamin A, which functions as
an antioxidant in preventing diseases such as cancer. The
high fiber content is another characteristic linked to the
nutritional benefits of maize. This condition makes it
suitable for diets that are made to lose weight and those
made with the aim of lowering cholesterol levels.
Anthocyanin is the name of the pigment that gives color to
purple corn. Purple corn extract increases the activity of a
gene that regulates the function of fat cells. Obesity and
diabetes are the great evils of this new century and the
properties of the purple corn then open new hope in
preventing it.Purple corn extract or juice is a powerful
antioxidant. This corn is also a good inhibitor of
cholesterol and is a protector of the retina, stimulating
blood circulation and prevents the development of
colorectal cancer. Promotes tissue regeneration, prevents
cardiovascular diseases, retards degenerative processes in
general, has anti-wrinkle action, increases blood
circulation, encourages diuretic action, so that in future
instead of the harmful soft drinks, take purple corn juice.
6. More Health Benefits of Maize
6.1. Nutritious and Highly Appetizing
Maize flour is used to make nutritious bread which is
highly palatable and is easily broken down in the body.
When taken at intervals, bread helps to clean the colon
and the dextrose produced is commonly used for
medicinal purposes.
6.2. Prevents Constipation
Popcorn is a wholesome staple food made by heating
small grains. It is easily digested by the body. In addition,
it is practically starch-free, not fattening, and is converted
into intermediate carbohydrates and dextrin, which is
easily absorbed in the body. It promotes peristalsis and is
also beneficial in preventing constipation.
6.3. Reduces Stomach Acidity
Maize facilitates the removal of toxic food substance
and accelerates the passage of faeces through the intestine.
Additionally, it protects the digestive tract thus promoting
function of the gall-bladder and reducing stomach acidity.
6.4. Combats the Symptoms of Certain
Cancers
Cereals generally wheat, rice, millet, oatmeal and maize
should be eaten in large quantities since they are sources
of carbohydrates and starch. Use of maize helps to combat
the effects of certain cancers, as it reduces the
development of cancer.
6.5. Reduce the Risk of Diabetes and Heart
Diseases
Maize is low in cholesterol and fat content. Cereal or
whole grains are great sources of vitamins and minerals,
magnesium, fiber and complex carbohydrates. The fiber in
whole grains helps to prevent the risk of heart diseases and
diabetes, and all its nutrients boost the immune system.
The main shortcoming is that most people are not aware of
the numerous health benefits of maize, hence fail to
include it in their nutrition.
7. Maize Side Effects
The major points against consumption of maize include
a possibility of fungal and microbial infection and toxicity
and skewed Omega 6: Omega 3 ratio. Besides these, some
other concerns over consumption of maize happen to stem
from the sugar and starch content of maize which gives
this grain high calorific value which is not very good news
for weight watchers. This concern also gives rise to a very
serious question - is corn oil good for us or not.
Considering the ubiquity of corn oil in just about every

American Journal of Food and Nutrition 174
processed and fried food and given its high trans-fat
content, corn oil is not at all a good option for daily
cooking purposes. If one is a discretionary snacker and
binge on those fries not more twice or thrice a month, then
it will not be very harmful for him. However, regular
consumption should be avoided.
Canned sweet corn can be high in salt, with some
brands containing as much as 545 mg of sodium per cup -
close to a quarter of the recommended dietary allowance.
If any person is over 51years of age, are African
American or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic
kidney disease, the recommended amount is no more than
1,500 mg per day. One should then look for canned corn
with no added salt where the sodium level drops to a
modest 31 mg per cup.
Although maize is not fattening, it is a starchy
vegetable, meaning it does contain carbohydrates.
Consuming too many carbohydrates and overall calories
can lead to weight and fat gain. If a person is overweight,
the it is suggested to reduce daily calorie intake by 500 to
1,000 calories per day for a weight loss of one to two
pounds per week.
Corn allergies are seen in adults as well as in children.
When a person becomes allergic to corn, his body
develops antibodies against corn proteins. Therefore, as
soon as the person consumes corn products or even
inhales corn particles or pollen, the immune system reacts
against it, which gives rise to allergic reactions on the
body. As corn is consumed by a large number of people,
the number of corn allergy cases is increasing. Symptoms
of corn allergy vary from very mild to severe ones. They
are also found to differ from person to person. When a
person is over sensitive to corn, consuming even a small
quantity of corn can result in development of symptoms
including vomiting, migraine headache, rash, abdominal
pain and bloating, gas, nausea, itchy skin, swelling of
tongue and mouth and fever. Anaphylaxis is the severest
symptom of corn allergy. Although a rare condition, it can
be life threatening. It can lead to impairment of several
bodily functions. Anaphylaxis occurs unexpectedly and
can be seen in children as well as adults. Research has
shown that corn is harmless in those with diverticulitis.
However, if one has diverticulitis and experience
worsening of symptoms after eating corn, he should avoid
it. Given both takes on the issue - is maize good? It can be
determined that consumed in moderation and in its fresh
form, maize is a great option for a healthy and tasty snack.
As far as the concerns over corn allergy symptoms are
concerned, let me tell you - it is extremely rare! Different
people can be allergic to different things but that doesn't
make that thing bad outright. We all know about people
who are lactose intolerant but then the problem is not with
milk, it is an issue with those people's systems which are
unable to metabolize dairy. Given its high vitamin,
phosphate and other nutrient contents despite the high fat
and carbohydrate levels, if consumed once in a while and
in moderation, maize does more good than harm.
Research have been done on utilizing maize with other
traditional cereals and grains and been evaluated for the
changes in physicochemical properties, nutritional value
and organoleptic acceptability. Germination and soaking
improved maize blended complementary porridges by
reducing phytate (1739%) and tannin (2177%) contents
and viscosity (2740%). All complementary porridges
prepared in this study were accepted at laboratory (6.25 to
6.80) level using nine point hedonic scales and satisfied
the minimum RDA for energy and protein and 2/3 of
RDA for iron (7mg) and zinc (3mg) [35].
In another study at the scientists at Directorate of Maize
Research, Cummings Laboratory,Indian Agricultural
Research Institute, New Delhi, India prepared two types
each of wheat flour and quality protein maize based
biscuits and compared with standard wheat flour based
biscuits. These biscuits were subjected for protein quality,
in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), shelf-life and
organoleptic studies. Both protein quality and quantity
improved in wheat flour and wheat flour + QPM based
biscuits. Less increase in acid values and moisture
contents were found to improve the shelf-life, which
showed improvement in keeping quality under ambient
conditions during 60 days of storage [36].
8. Commercialization of Maize Merchandise
and Potential
In food enterprise, the simplest real increase is in niche
meals markets, wherein manufacturers create value
through adding unique offerings for clients, imparting
great attributes like organic certification, specialized
health products and so forth.
Consumers with special dietary needs for both specific
health conditions and the general health concerns of our
population particularly aging population offer more
opportunities for creation of new products. For such
people value added products of maize has great potential
in the market and helped in creating production-
consumption chain management for maize. Looking to
the need and utilizing this opportunity by replacing or
reducing, the use of traditional cereals and grains with
maize may fulfill the gap between “what consumer needs”
and “what is available in market.” For e.g. population
suffering from celiac disease an incurable disease are
bound to avoid all gluten containing food like wheat, rye
and barley (which makes major portion of diet) and
dietary modification is the only option. However, at the
same time gluten, free foods are still difficult to find in
market and if available, they are too expensive to fulfill
daily dietary needs. Development, value addition, and
commercialization of maize products may ensure better
market availability of gluten free products at lower cost to
the customer and big market opportunity to the food
manufacturers.
Centre of Excellence on Maize Processing & Value
Addition, MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India has worked
in this direction. Utilization of 100 per cent maize to
different level of incorporation of maize in wide variety of
products belonging to baked (cake, biscuit, cookies,
muffins, bread etc.), extruded (puffballs, pastine),
traditional food products (Khaman, ladoo, mathri, bhujiya,
shakkarpara etc.) RTE and instant mixes (Cake mix,
khaman mix, chapatti mix etc.) have been done using
standard protocols. The developed maize products have
been observed to offer acceptable sensory scores and
improved nutritional profile to the consumers in terms of
its protein, fiber, fat and mineral content. These products
have been launched in local market and are found to be in
most demand by the local population of the area. In

175 American Journal of Food and Nutrition
developing countries like India where half of the
population still belongs to malnutrition, improving maize
utilization with increased human consumption will help in
ensuring nutritional security.
9. Way Forward
Several programmes are under implementation to
reduce malnutrition through distribution of fruit &
vegetable supplements rich in iron, zinc and vitamin A to
target groups in the country. Though there are several food
crops are available throughout the country maize serves to
be a miracle crop of which nothing goes waste and on low
cost serves to be nutritionally ideal. The promotion of
maize through effective supply chain could help in
reduction of malnutrition through following ways:
1. Improved participation of maize farmers in food
processing and value addition chain management
2. Increased productivity of maize grains
3. Set-up of small scale enterprise in rural area
generating employment and livelihood security
4. Employment generation for women and youth under
production unit under advertising and marketing channels
of maize.
5. Improved dietary safety and diversity in food choices
to the consumers
6. Nutritional security due to increased intake of maize
as food
7. Higher return to farmers due to higher yield hybrid
varieties of maize over other cereals and 15-20 per cent
incentive price for these varieties as compared to normal
maize.
8. Motivation to big market players for adopting maize
in food industries as an important grain.
The commercialization maize based food products
depend at the output of FEIP (Farmer, Entrepreneur, group
and people) chain. Maize is a crucial food and feed crop in
lots of Asian, African and South-American international
locations. Development and dissemination of appropriate
maize composites and hybrids for one of kind places will
cross a protracted manner for the food, feed and
nutritional safety of the underprivileged population of
those areas. The maize hybrid seed- industry play a
widespread position in mitigating the necessities of hybrid
seeds of maize. Consequently, there is need to involve
private players for the seed production and link the
enterprise with the farmers so that the farmers get an
assured fair price for their produce. There is further scope
to increase the lysine and tryptophan of maize, lysine
being more than 5 per cent. There is need for a coalition
for Sustainable nutritional security in developing countries
with a vision to advocate policy and program decision that
might improve nutritional security.
A huge segment of the population depends upon maize
as a staple food. Recurrent food price crises, combined
with the global financial, meltdown, volatile energy prices,
natural resource depletion, and climate change are
threatening to the livelihoods of millions of poor people.
Together with rice and wheat, maize provides at least 30
per cent of the food calories of more than 4.5 billion
people in 94 countries. They include 900 million poor
consumers for whom maize is the preferred staple, 120-
140 million poor farm families and about one third of all
malnourished children. Between now and 2050, the
demand for maize in the developing world will double,
and by 2025 maize will have become the crop with the
greatest production globally and in the developing world.
Maize offers range of nutritional benefits and has clinical
implications in various diseases. In India, most of the
maize produced, used for animal feed and only a small
portion utilized for human consumption, therefore its full
potential is yet to be realized. Sustainable strategies to
strengthen associations of maize product development
with health and nutrition research as well as product
delivery through marketing channels and thus maximize
benefits to users and consumers is the need of the globe.
Special emphasis on education about nutrition and
cooking to optimize the impact of the bio fortified maize
will improve the nutrition security. Maize offers great
potential both for internal consumption as well as export
in the region we need to harness this opportunity in global
interest.
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