Corn syrup is a sweetening agent made from corn starch. After the starch milling process, an acid-enzyme process is used to metabolize the starch into sugar chains. Acids like alpha-amylase are used to break down sugar chains into glucose. After a few more enzymes are added, a purified solution will contain about 50% glucose and 42% fructose, and repeated to achieve a desired fructose content, typically 42%, 55%, or 70%.

Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or alcohol, is an energy product of the milling process of corn. First, the kernels and stover (more information below) are ground into corn flour and water is added. Like many other corn-based processes, this mixture is mixed with enzymes to turn the starch into sugars. Yeast is added to this sugary mixture, which ferments the sugars into ethanol. The ethanol is distilled and removed and ready to be used as a cleaning agent, alcohol, or a biofuel gasoline additive.

Historically used for starching laundry, corn starch has surged in popularity as a commonly used item. This popular ingredient is obtained from the endosperm and germ of corn kernels by wet milling. Both are ground separately then washed in water. These mixtures are whirled into a centrifuge and dried to become the white powdered substance familiar to us.

Although not a very familiar term, corn stover refers to everything other than the ear of corn: stalks, leaves, and cobs that aren't harvested with the ears. Stover is mainly used as biomass in ethanol production and animal feed. This is due to its high cellulose content at about 70% by weight. In fact, it is the largest form of biomass residue in the United States: 120 million tons of corn stover is available to be used each year. According to a researcher at Iowa State University, corn stover could supply about 25 percent of total biomass and 23 to 53 billion liters of gasoline by 2030.

Stover can also be used as fodder--when combined with ears of corn, stover can be ground down into silage and used as animal feed, primarily to cows.

Dextrins are created by hydrolysis of corn starch. This is done by heat and by acids such as hydrochloric acid. Its most common use is as a thickening agent in foods like soup, stews, and baby foods. In nutrition-conscious foods, dextrins are used to replace fats to keep calories low.

The most well-known dextrin is maltodextrin, which comes in a digestible and indigestible form. Digestible maltodextrins are rapidly absorbed into the body, usually used by athletes for very quick energy absorption. It is also used in baked products for an extra sugary taste. Indigestible maltodextrins, commonly labeled as soluble fiber, resistant dextrin, or just dextrin. It is a very dry, fine white powder that is soluble in water but passes through the digestive tract without being digested. Due to this, foods with indigestible maltodextrin are high in fiber and promote gut health.

Glucose and dextrose are another product of corn starch and other starches. Glucose and dextrose are technically identical except dextrose's mirrored Lewis structure. It is created with the same hydrolysis process of corn starch, but the process is longer and divides starch up into individual molecules instead of chains. Glucose is typically used in biology as a simple definition for sugar, making it a perfect molecule for a sweetener due to its ability to spike blood sugar (known as the Glycemic index). 

Glucose and dextrose are used in sweeteners. In a large-scale, it is used as a food additive under many different names. For example, the main ingredient in sour candy is "invert sugar," which is a combination of glucose and fructose which is 1.3x sweeter than typical table sugar. More information on Dietary Use of Corn.

Corn oil is extracted from the maize germ through a press and eventually refined through using various solvents. Vegetable oils like corn oil have three types of acids: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated acids. Corn oil is low in saturated and monounsaturated acids, but high in polyunsaturated acids, the opposite of oils like Coconut and Palm Oil. More information on Dietary Use of Corn.

In commercial applications, corn oil is used for its high smoke point (450 degrees F). For oils with lower smoke point, reaching this temperature will produce a burning taste instead of a smoky flavor. This means that fried foods that require higher temperatures, like pork ribs, will use corn oils instead of oils like Canola Oil.