By Changing Corn’s Amino Acid Profile, Plant Scientist Makes Popcorn More Healthful

July 28, 2020: 12:00 AM EST

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln plant breeder who believes popcorn can and should be healthful has come up with a way to imbue corn with a more complete amino acid profile. The original goal was to improve the levels of lysine and tryptophan in the corn kernel through traditional breeding. Once that was accomplished, popcorn was the next logical target. Corn is high in protein, but it is not the complete protein needed by the human body. Some amino acids, especially lysine, are deficient. By changing the protein profile, David Holding says, corn becomes a more complete protein source, and popcorn could become “a unique food snack that's compatible with the healthy eating movement." The new varieties may also offer some interesting flavor possibilities. The only downside? "A slight reduction" in the popping volume, he says.[Image Credit: © Deborah Breen Whiting from Pixabay]

"Production roundup; Breeding effort focused on making popcorn a healthy choice", Ontario Farmer, July 28, 2020, via Via Lexis Nexis, © Ontario Farmer

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By Changing Corn’s Amino Acid Profile, Plant Scientist Makes Popcorn More Healthful

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