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Many New Uses For Very Old Purple Corn
Purple corn has historic roots dating back thousands of years, and now it appears to have a very colorful future on American food shelves. A Minnesota company, Suntava, Inc., is capitalizing on both the color and nutritional benefits of Suntava Purple Corn to develop dozens of new snacks, cereals, baked goods, and nutraceutical products.
  “This has gone in more directions than I could have ever imagined,” says Bill Petrich, Suntava CEO.
  The origins of purple corn can be traced back thousands of years to the production of maize in Mexico and South America. Suntava founders and their team of corn breeders have studied ancient maize strains in search of genes that may improve insect, drought and disease resistance, as well as deliver added health benefits.
  The company says Suntava Purple Corn is a significant source of natural dyes and three antioxidants: cyanidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin and peonidin. Purple corn also has high concentrations of anthocyanins that act as an anti-cancer agent, an obesity and diabetes preventative and cure, and an anti-inflamatory. The company claims that one cup of Suntava Purple Corn contains the same antioxidant value as 1˝ cups of blueberries.
  Suntava’s purple corn is contract-grown on thousands of acres in southwestern Minnesota and in other parts of the country. Corn seed can also be purchased from Burpee.
  Suntava purple corn is processed into 5 primary products: corn flour, corn meal, snack meal, kernels and grits. A natural color extracted from Suntava Purple Corn is being used to replace synthetic dye Red 40 in candies, beverages and other natural food applications.
   Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Suntava, 3290 S. St. Croix Trail, P.O. Box 268, Afton, Minn. (ph 651 998-0723; www.suntavapurplecorn.com).



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2015 - Volume #39, Issue #5