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# GRAPHIC: Most American corn isn’t destined for the dinner table
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/graphic-most-american-corn-isnt-destined-for-the-dinner-table/
- Published: 2022-07-27T17:24:10.000Z
- Updated: 2022-07-27T17:24:10.000Z
- Description: The majority of corn produced in the U.S. is used in animal feed and biofuel.
- Author: Madison McVan, Investigate Midwest
- Tags: Data Harvest, National, TP::Explainer, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

Less than 2% of the corn grown in American fields is directly consumed in cereal and other food products, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Over the past decade, another 7% of U.S. corn has been turned into corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, glucose and dextrose, common ingredients in a variety of food products.

The vast majority is used as animal feed or in ethanol, the USDA data shows.

Exports, the third-largest destination for American corn, slowly increased since the 2012-13 market year.

**Code Embed: Cannot use CODEcorn as a global code as it is being used to store 2 unique pieces of code in 2 posts**

*Top image: Corn harvest begins on an Illinois farm in late 2021\. photo by Darrell Hoemann, Investigate Midwest*