More nutritious, better tasting, non-GMO ‘orange corn’ launches in US markets
Naturally bred corn has abundance of antioxidant carotenoids with ‘nutty, buttery flavor’
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – “Orange corn,” a more nutritious, naturally selected variety of corn is now available in the U.S. markets through Purdue-affiliated startup NutraMaize LLC.
Torbert Rocheford, the Patterson Endowed Chair in Translational Genomics for Crop Improvement in the Purdue College of Agriculture’s Department of Agronomy, used a process known as biofortification to naturally increase the amount of antioxidant carotenoids in corn, making the corn more nutritious, and creating a deep orange color. The human body converts certain provitamin A carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, into vitamin A, an essential vitamin that promotes eye health and supports the immune system.