Fast facts
Corn may get a bad rap as being too starchy, but it offers a host of health benefits. A diet that includes corn can help lower the risk of lung cancer. Corn is a good source of vitamin C, which can help boost the immune system and help fight cancer. Compounds found in corn have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for corn: low fat, saturated fat-free, very low sodium, cholesterol free and a good source of vitamin C.
Trending
Corn sales rose more than 4% after a nearly 4% increase in 2016. Per-pound prices fell slightly while pounds sold also increased.
Availability
Fresh Trends
The likelihood of a corn purchase inched up two percentage points from Fresh Trends 2018.
Income, age and ethnicity affect sweet corn purchases. More than half of consumers in the top two income groups and the top two age groups said they purchased corn in the past year. A five-year trend shows that Caucasian consumers are the most likely ethnic group to buy sweet corn.
The pale kernels are a favorite in families both with kids and without—both groups are equally likely to buy—however, the likelihood of a corn purchase rose as the number of children in the household increased. Shoppers in the West were a bit more likely to buy sweet corn than those in other regions.
Seven in 10 consumers selected conventionally grown corn when they bought the vegetable. One-quarter of corn buyers said they opted for organic at least some of the time; only 7% said they always purchased organic product—a number down two percentage points from last year.
