How can you tell eating corn from feeding corn for animals?

There is corn growing across the street from my house and I want to know what type of corn it is. How can you tell feed corn from the type of corn that humans eat?

Is it possible to be allergic to corn fed meats if you are allergic to corn?

Is eating corn bad for our overall or future health?

How is whole grain corn identified in ingredient listings?

How much corn to add to corn muffins?

How to cook corn oil

How are “corn nuts” different from popping corn?

Corn.?

Is it safe to eat a corn cob?

What is the difference between corn starch and corn flour?

What is the difference between canned corn and corn from the cob?

What foods should I avoid with my corn allergy?

Why is it that all of these companies are changing to white corn from yellow?

6 comments a "How can you tell eating corn from feeding corn for animals?"

feeding corn is generally dried out corn on the cob. it’s stiff and hard and if you bend it, it will crack right down the middle. Eating corn is more pliable and soft.

Take a bite out of one of the ears. Feeder corn is tough, starchy, and virtually flavorless. You can eat it, but its not very palatable. You will know the difference if you take a nibble of it. Also, feeder corn is usually grown much longer in the fields than sweet edible corn. It is often seen still growing in late summer early fall.

…Billy Ray

feed corn will normally have a dent on top of each kernel. if all else fails, ask the farmer.

A bit of cultural history: farmers In the Midwest considered all yellow corn to be animal feed. Only white corn was food for humans. Nowadays, the freshness is what counts. At harvesting, the corn is full of sugar. As time passes that turns to starch and doesn’t taste nearly as good. Just go for the freshest you can find. Enjoy.

Usually by the amount of sugar(sacharine/sweetness). Pick a cob before it is fully mature and have a bite, if it tastes pretty sweet than you should be on to a good thing.

Another way is to dry a cob out, if the kernals shrivel and become semi flat, then it is sweet corn.

If they retain their popcorn like shape, it is probably an animal feed maize.

The kernals shrink/shrivel due to the lack of starch and high sugar content.

Either way it should still be edible, just won’t taste as good

Field (fodder) corn is usually smaller eared, with harder kernels, and lacks the flavor of high sugar sweet corn like we are used to eating. Many times a farmer will plant regular (human food) corn for animal feed, harvest some when it is ready for the table and leave the rest to be harvested as animal feed. Or in some countries, including parts of the US, field corn is harvested for the table. Sample a couple the ears. It won’t hurt you, it just won’t taste as good if it is field corn.

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