Corn gluten meal is the principal protein of corn (
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
)
endosperm consisting mainly of
zein and
glutelin
Glutelins are a class of prolamin proteins found in the endosperm of certain seeds of the grass family. They constitute a major component of the protein composite collectively referred to as gluten. Glutenin is the most common glutelin, as it is fo ...
.
[ ] It is a byproduct of corn processing that has historically been used as an animal feed. Despite the name, corn gluten does not contain true
gluten
Gluten is a structural protein naturally found in certain cereal grains. Although "gluten" often only refers to wheat proteins, in medical literature it refers to the combination of prolamin and glutelin proteins naturally occurring in all grai ...
, which is formed by the interaction of gliadin and glutenin proteins.
Production
Corn gluten meal is one product of
wet-milling Wet-milling is a process in which feed material is steeped in water, with or without sulfur dioxide, to soften the seed kernel
Kernel may refer to:
Computing
* Kernel (operating system), the central component of most operating systems
* Kernel ...
corn as well as
corn starch, germ oil meal, corn gluten feed, and steep liquor. Corn is
steeped in water mixed with
sulfur dioxide and ground to separate
germ
Germ or germs may refer to:
Science
* Germ (microorganism), an informal word for a pathogen
* Germ cell, cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually
* Germ layer, a primary layer of cells that forms during embryo ...
from the
endosperm to extract oil. The endosperm goes through screenings to separate starch and proteins from the corn fiber or
bran
Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the hard outer layers of cereal grain. It consists of the combined aleurone and pericarp. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, ...
. The remaining starch and proteins are centrifuged to separate the starch from the corn gluten meal.
Uses
Herbicide
The use of corn gluten meal as an herbicide was patented in 1991,
but, like many food-related substances used for gardening, is not regulated in the US.
Corn gluten meal breaks down over time and can act as a fertilizer due to a high nitrogen content,
but it should not be applied to areas where it is likely to wash directly into watersheds due to
nitrogen runoff.
The effectiveness of corn gluten meal as a preemergent is not conclusive. The added nitrogen can allow turfgrass to outcompete weeds, and the meal can act as mulch to prevent weed emergence, but will not affect emerged weeds.
[{{cite web, last1=Cardozo, first1=Anna, url=http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74113.html , title=Weed Management in Lawns Guidelines--UC IPM]
Animal feed
Corn gluten meal is commonly used as livestock feed containing about 65% crude protein. It can be a source of protein, energy, and pigments for livestock, and is used in pet foods for digestibility. Corn gluten meal is occasionally confused for corn gluten feed, which instead has approximately 22% crude protein and is a mixture of bran, steep liquor, and maize germ oil from the milling process.
[Heuzé V., Tran G., Sauvant D., Renaudeau D., Lessire M., Lebas F., 2015. Corn gluten meal. Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/715 Last updated on October 29, 2015, 14:09]
Food Flavorings
Corn gluten is used in the manufacture of Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) a common food flavor.
References
Organic gardening
Pet foods