How does corn "transform" into straws, cups, and knives and forks?

For a long time, corn has been an important food crop and feed crop, and with consumption upgrading and technological progress, the industrial chain of corn deep processing is constantly extended
.
What does the "transformation journey" of corn look like?

The weather gets colder and hot drinks sell well
.
Corn juice has become a favorite drink
for many people.
This cup of corn juice, even the cup and straw are "become" by corn
.

The golden corn in the field is harvested and threshed, and it is taken to the processing plant by transport truck to start the "transformation journey"
.
The whole vehicle of corn kernels enters the special conveying channel and first passes through the "security check", the purpose is to clean up the impurities such as stones and sand and obtain clean grain
.

Next, the corn kernels are soaked in an "acid bath" in a closed steel tank, and then subjected to a grinder and centrifuge to produce starch, sugars and amino acids
.
These main deep-processed products can be regarded as "early graduation
" while ensuring food security and nutritional supply.
Another part of the corn raw material that can be reused continues the "transformation journey"
.

In modern processing cabins, the corn trimmings are turned into a liquid at high temperatures and injected into molds, both for straws and cutlery
.

After cooling, various daily necessities such as straws, knives and forks, cups, and plates that have been "turned into" by corn are finally "unveiled"
.
Compared to the beginning, they are now worth twice as much and the market demand is strong
.
After these corn deep-processed products are discarded, they can be degraded in the soil, thus realizing the cycle
of "coming from the ground and returning to the ground".

Cui Zhaoning, project leader of COFCO Biotechnology: Corn is the most "transformed" and complex agricultural product, from primary processing to deep processing to high value-added processing, the higher the added value and the wider the
application field.
At present, the intensive processing of corn has formed a "golden industrial chain", and the transformation of high added value of corn can also benefit farmers, thus forming a virtuous circle
.
(Editor Li Chuang)