Sunday, September 24, 2006

Uses of Corn - Corn Products to avoid.

Because there just isn't enough things made from corn to watch out for..

Here are a few more products to avoid:

Eco-friendly gift cards - These festive little cards are scratch'n sniff peppermint scented gift cards, biodegradable, made from corn. Places to watch out for these lovelies: Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Gap, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, JC Penney, Costco, Toys R Us, and more. Another article at Potentials Mag. states that 99.9% of people won't know the difference between the corn plastic gift cards and the PVC. These haven't been out long enough to know if it'll cause skin irritation on corn allergic/intolerant people, but its definately something for which to watch out.

Eco-friendly Coffee Mug - This coffee mug is made from 100% corn plastic. Its sold as a promotional item for companies. So watch out for that Eco-friendly mug being handed out at the company holiday party.

Actually, speaking of bioplastics.. here is an article about Bio-plastics (corn-based polylactice acid, PLA) in use. Watch out for the following being made from corn:
Compostable Tableware - made entirely from corn. Line includes: disposable forks, knives, spoons, plates, cups, bowls, and storage containers such as those used in deli's and supermarkets. See Also: Biodegradable Store
Containers at Deli's and Supermarkets - Part of the Compostable Tableware line. Wild Oats Markets has switched its packaging to corn-based plastics.
PLA Clothing Items & Bedding: already available in department stores in Nebraska, and "around the nation".
Sony-Walkman: Available in PLA in Japan. (and probably USA as well)
CD's: Available in PLA in Japan. (and probably USA as well)
Sorona Fabric: A joint effort of Dupont and Tate & Lyle. The fabric is made from corn and petroleum products. Production to begin in 2006?
Polyester & Food Wrap: Not that any of us is thinking of making a 1970's polyester suit, but BASF AG & Metabolix are working on a plant-based (corn) polyester plastic to be used as food wrap or fibers for clothing.
Coated Paper, Film, Molded Goods: ADM is working on producing these with polymers made from corn.

Other products from corn that may not readily come to mind: Iowa Corn - Corn Products Be sure to click all the links on the side in light grey. (6 pages total) Very informative.
Chewing Gum: I've actually yet to find a chewing gum (except maybe during Kosher for Passover) that is completely corn-free.
Penicillin Production: It may not be enough anymore to make sure the fillers are corn-free. Its the medication itself that may do us in.
Intravenous Solutions: IV's. Hospitals, surgeries, emergencies. Its a scary enough thought on its own without worrying about getting poisoned from an IV.
Mattresses: Nothing quite like a good nights rest on a bed of corn.

Illinois Corn - Corn Products
Tires: Tires made from corn. Gas and Tires made from corn. Soon we'll be driving a corn-cob.
Golf Tees: Ecotee biodegradable golf tees.
Corn Stoves & Furnaces: As if the harvest months aren't bad enough for airborne corn, now your winter months can share in corn smoke drifting through the air.
De-Icers: For those of you that live in colder climates, be careful. (check out the next link for more information on which brands to definately avoid)

To search for other products made from corn, aka search for products to avoid, the National Corn Growers Association has set up a very handy webpage about corn based products which is searchable by product applications, and company name. Corn-based Products Search Engine

Companies to watch out for:
Brevoxyl Creamy Wash by Stiefel (acne wash)
Desitin Baby Powder (Pfizer)
Earth Friendly Products (cleaning products)
Natural Soy Products (hand soap)
SoyGreen - Soy Technologies (degreaser and finish stripping solvents)
World's Best Cat Litter.

Pages to make sure you read:
Corn Products broken down by derivative source.
New uses of corn.
Primary Products from Corn.
Tapping the Treasure: Detailed breakdown of corn use in products

5 comments:

Violets said...

Man...they really are trying to force us off to an island somewhere...Nothing is safe!!!

The gift cards are scary...and mattresses! Even if your own are corn free, what if you need to go to a hotel? We must vacation *sometime*; and are already limited to places offering kitchennettes (or at least fridges) How do we try and explain to a hotel manager that their beds are a danger to us???

V said...

Hotels are scary. I'm glad I'm not very skin sensitive, or I'd be totally terrified of Hotels. between the soap they use to clean the sheets, the cleaners they use to clean the room, plus any "air freshener" that some use. You could be in real trouble. My guess is bring your own sheets from home, a plastic mattress sealing cover, and place a huge sign on entry "Do not clean room".

Artist said...

I have just discovered i have a corn allergy as well as peanut,soy,wheat and cod and mainly the corn has been reeking havoc in my life for over 20yrs...but now that i know i am overwhelmed by how hard it is to get the stuff out of my life. and its funny i hate pure corn even grits I have my whole life. but love tortilla chips, coke,and popcorn . I can get rid of the obvious...but i am becoming afraid of ALL food and now even my bedding!

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braddie granes said...

These tips are really useful for everyone, who is passionate about craft and art.