MaizeWise® whole grain corn provides a cost-effective ingredient source for whole grains and fiber

Consumers are demanding whole grain nutrition.  Three out of four shoppers eat brown, wheat or whole grain breads weekly, while white bread use dropped from about half in 1996 to just more than a third in 2011.¹  The “Changes in Eating Habits” report by HealthFocus states that “60% of shoppers say that they eat whole grains and fiber more often because they believe it will help reduce the risk of disease.”¹  Incorporating whole grains  into existing ”consumer desirable” products while maintaining texture, flavor and shelf life stability has become much easier recently as whole grain ingredients have diversified.  Cargill’s MaizeWise® whole grain corn products offer cost-effective ingredient solutions that can provide a consumer-preferred taste experience in finished whole grain and increased fiber products.

MaizeWise® whole grain products can be a cost-effective alternative to other whole grain products offering flexibility to be used as a stand-alone solution or in a blend with other grains such as wheat.

U.S. food policy has evolved around whole grains as research has increasingly illustrated whole grain health benefits.  In 1992 the USDA Food Guide Pyramid largely ignored any reference to whole grains. The USDA’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines encouraged all Americans “to eat at least three 1-oz.-equivalent servings of whole grains each day”.  The 2005 update was the first time the Dietary Guidelines had specific recommendations for whole grain consumption.  The recommendation from the updated 2010 Dietary Guideline is to consume at least half of all grains as whole grains.  For many people, this equates to greater than 3-5 servings of whole grains a day.

Whole grains are defined as grains that include the entire grain, seed, or kernel.  The kernel consists of three components: bran, germ, and endosperm.  Whole grains are most often consumed as an ingredient in foods (e.g., in cereals, breads, and crackers) but can be directly consumed as popcorn and rice.  Common examples of whole-grain ingredients include buckwheat, bulgur, millet, quinoa, rolled oats, rice, barley, wheat and corn.

MaizeWise® is a line of whole-grain corn and corn-bran products that expands food manufacturers' choices when looking to deliver healthful, corn-based products to their customers.  The MaizeWise® line of whole-grain corn flours and corn-bran products can be used in many applications including cereals, pastas, breads, tortillas, taco shells and extruded snacks.  By utilizing a proprietary process, Cargill stabilizes whole-grain corn flour during milling to help improve shelf-life, alleviating a common concern with whole grain products.

Cargill delivers added value through its ability to customize MaizeWise® for specific formulations. MaizeWise® can be a plug-in solution for many applications eliminating the need for the customer to invest in additional equipment or engage in expensive reformulations.  In addition, whole grain corn can be a cost-effective alternative to other whole grain products offering flexibility to be used as a stand-alone solution or in a blend with other grains such as wheat.

Cargill’s ability to customize MaizeWise® whole grain products provides customers with a broad spectrum of color, granularity, flavor and functional attributes such as:

• Color: White, yellow and blends of the two
• Granularity: Fine, medium and coarse for textures ranging from powdery to sandy
• Flavor: Bland or neutral all the way to full-on toasted corn flavor
• Functional attributes: Full range of functionality for thick or thin batters, crunchy or crispy crackers, or crusty or chewy bread.

MaizeWise® whole-grain corn products can be blended or used as a direct replacement for existing corn meal, masa, or corn flours in pursuit of FDA-authorized whole-grain health claims or a Whole Grains Council Stamp. MaizeWise® corn bran is an insoluble fiber that can boost dietary fiber at low-to-moderate inclusion rates, while providing minimal impact to flavor, texture, and processing characteristics in many applications.