MAIZE
Look- There are yellow corns joined to white structure and covered with leaves.
Species- Maize is a member of the grass family. It is a cereal grain.
Origin- It was first grown by people in ancient Central America.
Cultivation- Maize was first cultivated in the area of Mexico more than 7,000 years ago, and spread throughout North and South America.
Fertilizers- Maize requires nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and zinc so it is given NPK fertiliser and DAP (Diammonium phosphate).
Packaging- Cobs are packaged in bulk in waxed cardboard boxes, water-resistant or in wood boxes containing 20kg of Maize.
Irrigation- Maize is irrigated with virtual water.
Processing-Various food technologies are currently used for processing industrially produced maize flours and corn meals in different parts of the world to obtain precooked refined maize flour, dehydrated nixtamalized flour, fermented maize flours, and other maize products. These products have different intrinsic vitamin and mineral contents, and their processing follows different pathways from raw grain to the consumer final product, which entail changes in nutrient composition. Dry maize mechanical processing creates whole or fractionated products, separated by anatomical features such as bran, germ, and endosperm. Wet maize processing separates by chemical compound classification such as starch and protein. Various industrial processes, including whole grain, dry milling fractionation, and nixtamalization, are described. Vitamin and mineral losses during processing are identified and the nutritional impacts outlined. Also discussed are the vitamin and mineral contents of corn.
