Corn FAQ’s

How Common is a Corn Allergy?

The incidents of corn allergies was not as common as other food allergies to not make the Top-8 list of food allergies, but it is now increasing. Suspected is everything from the increased dietary intake of corn and foods that contain corn ingredients to Genetically Modified Organism corn (GMO).

How Common is a Corn Intolerance?

While not as common as some other food intolerances such as intolerance to wheat, corn intolerance and allergy is on the rise. Though not pinned down to an exact cause as to why the increase in individuals who are intolerant to corn, everything from the increased amount of corn being consumed to the possibility of issues with Genetically Modified Organism corn (GMO) is being considered.

An allergy to corn is typically more severe when it does occur than allergies to some other foods, so an intolerance issue may be exactly the same. A corn intolerance may manifest with more severe symptoms.

The Most Common Symptoms of a Corn Intolerance?

As with other food intolerance symptoms, corn intolerance will present itself with symptoms involving pain and bloating in the gut, flatulence, as well as diarrhea or constipation. Skin problems such as eczema are a strong indicator that there is an intolerance of a food in progress. If corn is suspected by the individual sufferer to be the cause, then it should be considered and explored. Another indicator may be developing asthma-like symptoms where there is no other known cause.

Do Alcoholic Beverages Contain Corn?

Most likely the answer is yes. Some whiskeys are made from corn, vodka can be made from corn and corn can be used to sweeten finished products such as beers and novelty alcoholic beverages. Some alcoholic beverages are made exclusively from a specific set of ingredients, but there are too many brands that are both domestic and imported to be able to state with any reasonable certainty that there would be no corn. It is best to ask the manufacturer directly.

What Should I Avoid on a Corn-Free Diet?

Eating any processed foods makes it tough to avoid corn. Corn is so widely used in so many ways today that it is even used in plastics that we store our food or wrap our food in. Though that would only be an issue with those who are allergic by even coming into contact with corn, it is good to know so that there are no surprises that corn can be in just about anything. It is even in our gasoline!

A corn-free dietary intake requires an almost total abstinence from all processed foods. If it comes in a box, can, jar or package it is highly likely that it has some corn in it.

What is Corn Syrup?

Corn syrup is used as a sweetener in almost every mass produced processed food that requires a bit of sweetness. That syrup we use on pancakes is most often corn syrup with maple flavoring. Pure maple syrup is made from maple trees but is expensive. Corn syrup is a cheaper alternative. It is used in place of sugar in many products due to its lower cost and that it preserves textures rather than crystallizing as regular sugar does.

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Corn is processed into myriad consumer foods and products. Corn is further processed by manipulation to raise the level of fructose which is a sugar that needs to be processed by our own livers to be used by our bodies. The U.S. Government subsidies to farmers make it more cost effective for manufacturers to use high fructose corn syrup in place of sugar to sweeten products. Check the labels. It is in practically everything.

Corn Ingredients That May be Hiding in Food?

The United States grows a lot of corn. That is actually an understatement. There is so much corn that technologies are continually developed to extract individual components of corn to be used in mass production because corn is a cheap source for the raw ingredients needed. Dextrose can originate from other sources, but it most likely is made from corn due to corn being a cheap raw ingredient source.

Look for the obvious such as corn, corn starch, corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other words that contain corn. But the truth of the matter is that unless each manufacturer of foods one wishes to consume is consulted about whether corn is present, it simply will not be known. It can be in vitamins, it can hide as a “natural flavor,” it’s in the glue of some tea bags.

Fortunately for many intolerance issues there is a threshold where symptoms are triggered. So eating corn-on-the-cob will most definitely cause symptoms where a little bit of dissolved adhesive from the tea bag for that cup of tea wont.

Terms That May Indicate Corn is in My Food?

Many ingredients can come from multiple sources, but since corn is so cheap it is most likely the source for all of the sugars that end with the suffix “ose” such as glucose, sucrose and fructose. Look for the word “dextrin” as well. Unless a label specifically states an ingredient’s source, it is highly likely that it will derive from corn. Seek to know the source of the ingredients that are listed to include the word “cellulose” or “glycerides.”

Since corn is not in the Top 8 list of foods that trigger allergies, there is no requirement to tell the consumer where many ingredients are sourced from. Even the sugar alcohols such as xylitol used to sweeten dietetic foods and candies most likely derive from corn.

What is Corn Starch?

Looking at a kernel of corn we see the outer husk that we most often identify as being yellow, and we also notice the inner part of the kernel. That is where cornstarch comes from. Typically we think of either the box of cornstarch in the kitchen cabinet used to thicken gravies or the cornstarch used as a baby powder. In mass produced food the cornstarch is used to thicken or used as an anti-caking agent as in confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar).

What is Maize?

The word “maize” comes from a Spanish word indicating a specific corn plant, but it is commonly used now to indicate corn of all types of cultivars. Though the word “corn” is most often used in all contexts of formal usage, maize is an equivalent on labels.

Common Uses of Corn Ingredients/Derivatives?

Corn is in everything from gasoline to corn dogs. In fact, it is almost uncommon to find any product that doesn’t have some corn in it. Corn is used in plastics and packaging, it replaces Styrofoam packing peanuts in the form of a molded cornstarch, it is used to keep other products such as confectioner’s sugar and baking powder from caking, it is used as a filler, it is used to make cheap sweeteners and syrups and it can be used as an adhesive in tea bags. It is by far the most prevalent plant product used in food and manufacturing today.

Why Should I Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup Even if I’m Not Corn Intolerant?

The necessary diet for optimal health is a balance of natural foods that undergo as little processing as possible. Our society eats on the run so manufacturers give us what we want. We like sweet and cheap and corn easily provides both. Corn syrup does not naturally occur. It cannot be pressed from corn. High fructose corn syrup is corn syrup that is further processed to make it higher in the sugar fructose. Fructose is not bioavailable until it is processed again by our own livers.

Sweet is craved by our bodies, but consuming a diet that is high in sweets leads to weight gain which leads to insulin resistance which culminates in diabetes. Consider that high fructose corn syrup is in a huge variety of processed foods. Consider that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is mainly made up of processed foods. Consider that diabetes is rampant in the U.S. Consider that each generation has statistically enjoyed a longer lifespan due to advances we have made until now. The expected lifespan of our children are now expected to be lower.

What Does GMO Mean?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. It is when science alters an organism such as a plant on a genetic level at the DNA structure itself for purposes of eliciting a desired trait. However, in altering the DNA it is not possible for it to be known if there are other things that change within the organism that may render it harmful in some way to another species to which it had not been known to be harmful to.

Are Corn and Corn Products GMO?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that our agricultural system here in the United States is controlled by a very small amount of major companies. Seed has to come from somewhere. Government subsidizes our farmers. Crop yield is paramount. Genetically Modified Organism seeds produce higher yields. Farms that are not growing GMO corn may be next to a farm that is growing GMO corn. Nature cannot be contained. Pollination is not confined just inside the fence line of a farm growing GMO corn.

Is There Non-GMO Corn Available?

It is unlikely at this point to have available in any mass produced product corn that is exclusively non-GMO. Without genetic testing of the source of the raw materials it simply cannot be known, and with over 90% of the corn grown in the United States being GMO corn, the likelihood of the GMO corn being in most products is a given. Plus due to the pollen of GMO corn being impossible to confine inside the fences of the farms it is grown on, it won’t be long until all soy is GMO unless it would be grown under strictly controlled conditions within a closed environment thus making it cost prohibitive for consumer use.

How Can I Tell if Something is Non-GMO?

It cannot be positively known without genetic testing of the corn that will be used as a raw ingredient. However, organic labeling assures that the food does not contain any genetically manipulated ingredients if the label states 100% Organic. If the label just indicates that the food is organic, it can contain GMO sourced raw ingredients.

The issue of GMO identification is that pollination of corn Crop A that is GMO cannot be contained from contaminating corn Crop B possibly many miles away since pollen is carried by insects, birds, the wind, farm equipment, humans and other animals. It is delusional to assume that corn grown in open fields with over 90% being GMO corn that cross-contamination cannot occur.  But, going organic is your best bet and the best corn available.