Sunday, December 10, 2006

New Uses for Corn

As if we really need new uses for corn, here a few new uses to keep an eye on.

This is straight from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (aka CSREES, a division of the USDA), these new uses for corn are in the works.

To quote their page directly: “A rose is a rose is a rose, but corn can be a salt, a medicine and a meat sanitizer.”

Corn Salt? HälsoSalt™
Randall Health Foods of Lansing, Michigan is now selling HälsoSalt™. This is a salt substitute made from corn, and is supposedly a big seller already though the U.S. patent is still pending. HalsoSalt is supposedly Swedish for healthy salt, though I’m not sure what about corn salt makes it Swedish. Sounds like just another ploy to make things look and sound better than they are. I’m not certain if the product label says anything about being from corn, but now you know.

Corn Medication?
According to CSREES, “Xylitol, made from corn fiber, is a sugar alcohol sweetener that helps prevent tooth decay and ear infections and is a safe sweetener for diabetics.” Curious to find out though, exactly how does a sweetener prevent ear infections? The CSREES report did not say.

Xylitol can also be made from birch trees, and was made from birch trees for a long time. I assume it has the same benefits, as corn-derived Xylitol though CSREES makes the Xylitol from corn sound like a whole new invention.

Corn Sanitizer for Meats?
Just when we thought spraying meats with a citric acid wash was going to be our main concern in this area, new research as Missouri and Iowa State has helped develop uses for Polylactic Acid (PLA) made from corn. PLA, when used as a meat sanitizer, reduces pathogens more than tenfold and prevents the growth of bacteria such as E. coli.

While these new uses may be helpful for some people, they do not help our plight in the least. As always, be careful, be safe, and read your labels. The more you know, the better off you'll be.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Von-

Here's HälsoSalt website- dnpco.com/halsoabout.asp

And no, the ingredients do not list corn, though the packaging does appear to show a corn stalk on the front.

V said...

Thanks for the site. At least the site clearly states corn.

Jo Ann said...

Xylitol affects the stickiness of bacteria, which reduces the chances of infection. My ENT recommended it to avoid frequent sinus infections too (Xlear spray). In Dentistry we recommend Xylitol therapy to reduce the risk of decay by suppressing the ability of decay bugs to stick to the teeth or each other. Researchers indicate that prolonged use with Xylitol can be as effective or more so than fluoride in reducing decay. Xylitol is also made from strawberries, Birch Bark, and our own bodies. If you are corn allergic, check with the company for their source of Xylitol before using any new product.