Question

What happens to most of the corn grown in the US?

A) It is consumed domestically as a staple food.
B) It is exported to other countries for international consumption.
C) It is processed into various products, including high-fructose corn syrup.
D) It is stockpiled for future use to stabilize market prices.

Answer 1

Most U.S. corn is processed into products like biofuels and high-fructose corn syrup or used as animal feed, rather than consumed directly as a staple food by humans.

Step-by-step explanation:

The majority of corn grown in the United States is not eaten directly by humans as a staple food. Instead, a considerable portion of the crop is used for various other purposes. About half of the U.S. corn crop is utilized for making biofuels, namely ethanol, which is blended with gasoline.

In addition to fuel, a large amount of corn, both in the form of grain and silage, is used for animal feed, particularly to feed cattle, chickens, and hogs. Another significant use of field corn is the production of sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which has become a common substitute for cane sugar in processed foods and soft drinks since the 1970s.