Current Status and Prospect of Qauality Evaluation in Maize

옥수수의 품질평가 현황과 전망

This paper is intented to present a information of various aspects of quality related characteristics and standards for grades in maize. Maize is world's one of the three most popular cereal crops and a primary energy supplement and can contribute up to 30, 60, and 98% of the dairy diet's protein, net energy, and starch, respectively. Maize is also processed into industrial goods by wet or dry milling. Sweet corn is a leader among vegetable crops and its production for fresh or processing markets is a major industry in many countries. Over the years, the combined efforts of breeders and geneticists, biochemists, food scientists, and others have helped bring us to the point where we understand issues related to sweet corn quality. Traditional criteria for selecting corn hybrids have been based primarily on agronomic factors, including grain production, disease resistance, drought tolerance, and storage characteristics. Little emphasis has been placed on the quality and nutritional values of corn. Although there is widespread interest for value-enhanced corns have increased tremendously in the last five years, there is limited information available on the production and comparing the quality attributes of specialty grains with those of normal yellow dent corn. Most countries have developed national maize standards, aiming to provide a framework for trade, both internal and external. Where trading involves direct choice and price negotiation in front of the commodity, grading standards are rarely employed; quality is assessed visually and is influenced by end-use, and the price is determined more by local rather than national factors. The use of an agreed standard will provide an unambiguous description of the quality of the consignment and assist in the formation of a legally-binding contract. Standards can also be seen to protect consumers rights through setting limits to the amount of unsuitable or noxious material.