Industry Applications
1. Food industry
- Baking Industry: Cornmeal is a key ingredient in baking products like cornbread, muffins, pancakes, and crackers.
- Snack Foods: Used to make snacks like tortilla chips, corn chips, and extruded products (e.g., puffed snacks).
- Breading and Coating: It is often used as a breading or coating for fried foods due to its texture and flavour.
- Thickening Agent: Cornmeal thickens soups, stews, and sauces.
- Cereals: Utilized in breakfast cereals such as cornflakes and other processed grain-based foods.
2. Livestock Feed
- Livestock Feed: Cornmeal serves as a feed ingredient for poultry, swine, and other livestock, providing a source of carbohydrates and energy.
3. Biofuel Production
- Ethanol Production: Cornmeal is used in the production of ethanol, a renewable biofuel. The starch in cornmeal is converted into sugars, which are then fermented into ethanol.
4. Pharmacology, Cosmetics and Personal Care
- Excipient: In some cases, cornmeal or its derivatives are used as fillers or binders in tablet formulations.
- Exfoliants: Cornmeal is used in scrubs and other cosmetic products as a natural exfoliant due to its coarse texture.
- Skin Treatments: It may also be included in masks or treatments for its soothing and absorbent properties.
5. Sustainable Materials
- Industrial Adhesives: Cornmeal or its derivatives are used in adhesives for paper, cardboard, and wood products due to its starch content.
- Bioplastics: Cornmeal, through its starch content, produces biodegradable plastics and packaging materials.
- Textiles: Cornmeal-derived starch is used as a sizing agent to strengthen threads during weaving.
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