Waxy corn is grown in limited areas for its starch, which has special qualities for food and technical used.
This type of corn is so named because of the dull, waxy appearance of the kernels relative to the shiny, vitreous kernels of flint and dent.
It does not contain wax as such but owes its texture to the presence of relatively large amounts of the amylopectin fraction in the starch.
Waxy corn possesses higher content of water soluble, salt-s0luble protein and low alcohol protein content that the normal maize.
Waxy corn starch will not gel or weep and will also give a much softer texture when used in a meat product. High amylopectin starches are best suited to achieve long –term water holding capacity.
Waxy corn starch granules stain red-brown with iodine instead of the usual blue.
It has high content of lysine and tryptophan which are the essential amino acids the human body cannot synthesize. Lysine content is about 16 - 74% more than normal size.
It has important food and industrial uses.
Waxy corn starch
