Corn… the whole grain hiding its light under a bushel?
Corn is a whole grain if the bran (pericarp), germ, and endosperm are all left intact, just like whole wheat. And whole grain corn flour - which is gluten-free and high in vitamin A, fiber, antioxidants and carotenoids - is now starting to gaining traction beyond the cereal aisle, said corn ingredients expert Didion Milling.
According to data from Mintel GNPD (Global new Products Database), 97 new retail food products with whole grain corn flour as a primary ingredient were launched from Jan 2010 to June 2015, with recent launches from big names such as Kellogg, Post Foods and Pepperidge Farm as well as private label offerings from Target, Aldi, Safeway, and Kroger.
While cold cereals are the key application area, new launches also include dips, rice snacks, cereal bars, crackers, bread, bean-based snacks, baby snacks, baking mixes and energy bars.
Picture: Chicago Polish dumplings (Peirogi) made with Didion's HarvestGold whole grain corn flour.