How can maize be modified to enhance its nutritional and industrial value?
Fayaz Hussain
Maize can be modified to enhance its nutritional and industrial value by various methods, such as:
- Breeding: Breeding is the process of selecting and crossing maize varieties with desirable traits to produce improved varieties. Breeding can be done by conventional methods or by using biotechnology tools such as genetic engineering or marker-assisted selection. Breeding can enhance the nutritional value of maize by increasing its protein, oil, vitamin, mineral or bioactive compound content, or by reducing its anti-nutritional factors such as phytate or aflatoxin. Breeding can also enhance the industrial value of maize by improving its starch, oil, fibre or zein quality, quantity or functionality for various applications. Some examples of maize varieties developed by breeding are quality protein maize (QPM), high-oil maize (HOM), high-lysine maize (HLM), provitamin A-enriched maize (PVAEM) and waxy maize.
- Processing: Processing is the process of transforming maize grains into various food or non-food products by physical, chemical or biological methods. Processing can enhance the nutritional value of maize by increasing its digestibility, bioavailability, palatability or shelf life, or by adding other nutrients or bioactive compounds. Processing can also enhance the industrial value of maize by modifying its starch, oil, fibre or zein properties such as viscosity, gelatinization, crystallinity, solubility, emulsification or the film-forming ability for various applications. Some examples of maize products obtained by processing are flour, grits, flakes, popcorn, tortillas, bread, porridge, snacks, beverages, ethanol, sweeteners, adhesives and bioplastics.
- Fortification: Fortification is the process of adding micronutrients or bioactive compounds to maize grains or products to increase their nutritional value and prevent or treat deficiencies or diseases. Fortification can be done by adding synthetic or natural sources of nutrients or bioactive compounds during processing or after processing. Fortification can enhance the nutritional value of maize by increasing its vitamin, mineral or phytochemical content, or by providing functional benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic or anti-cancer effects. Some examples of maize products fortified with nutrients or bioactive compounds are iron-fortified maize flour, zinc-fortified maize flour, folic acid-fortified maize flour and anthocyanin-fortified popcorn.
These are some of the methods that can modify maize to enhance its nutritional and industrial value. However, these methods may also have some limitations or challenges such as cost-effectiveness, consumer acceptance, environmental impact and regulatory issues. Therefore, there is a need for more research and development to optimize these methods and ensure their safety and quality
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