Is cornstarch a natural ingredient?

There has been an ongoing debate on whether cornstarch should be considered as a natural ingredient. Some claim that it’s derived from corn, which is a naturally occurring plant, while others argue that the manufacturing process involves chemical processes, making it artificial.

In this article, we explore what exactly cornstarch is and if it can be considered as a natural ingredient.

What is Cornstarch?

Cornstarch is a fine powder made from the white endosperm found in kernels of corn. This powdery substance has various applications and commonly used in food recipes to thicken sauces or soups.

One thing to note here: cornflour should not be confused with cornmeal even though they are all products obtained from maize.

If you’re reading this wondering ‘what could possibly make everyone doubt whether such an easily-accessible staple thickening agent -to whichever side of the debate- could have both inherent good AND bad qualities’, well buckle up friend because we’re about to blow your mind…

How is It Produced?

The production process for corn starch usually goes through several steps:
1. Milling – Milling refers to separating different parts of the kernel.
2. Separation – Separating components usually requires steeping whole kernels prior before either mechanically stripping outer layer or chemically dissolving inner starchy zone (endosperm).
3. Purification –
If chemicals were used during separation & extraction process some impurities may remain so purification stage removes any residual oil / protein residues along with other components especially heavy metals.
4. Drying out excess moisture
5. Grading according standards set by industry regulatory rules

Doesn’t sound too sketchy at first glance does it? Unfortunately things start looking less ideal upon deeper inspection…

Chemical Processes Involved

Chemicals like hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride are commonly found in cornstarch manufacturing process. The acid is usually employed to weaken the bond between components making separation easier although with potential drawbacks of damage in nutrition or safety levels depending on how heavily used and % concentration level. Sodium chloride plays a role in facilitating extraction by helping insoluble fractions become more soluble but can also be present at high concentrations if overuse happens which may lead to excess sodium intake.

Those who argue that Corn starch isn’t natural often cite these chemical processing methods as proof that it’s artificial, while others claim that since it’s made from a naturally occurring plant, it should still count as one.

So… Is Cornstarch Natural?

Well folks we’ve come down to this: Can cornstarch actually be considered ‘natural’? I’m afraid the answer will depend on how you choose to define what ‘natural’ even means…

One school of thought suggests defining ‘Natural Ingredients’ as substances featuring minimal degrees of modification beyond any processing required for cleansing purposes.

If such sounds good-to-go then YES! According to this definition, cornstarch would indeed qualify as an all-natural ingredient being derived straight-from-the-corn-plant just with some primping up first mainly via mechanical processes(e.g milling) . While there are issues like concerns around impurities due within separation/protein contamination and/or heavy metal toxicities risks waiting inside hydrochloric / salt by-products utilized through-out even our go-to thickening solution, however if we limit our focus purely on production processes involved stripping latter materials for their factor designation fails in light of using same criteria against other long recognized natural ingredients

Conversely Others believe “Natural” should refer only to unaltered substances found exactly equal within its organic source e.g pure pectin from directly-handpicked apples laid out under organic farming practices free-of chemical pesticides /artificial fertilizers.For those aligned here C’mon now let’s be honest and agree, cornstarch would fail to hit ‘natural’ standards given its production processes involve more than simple washing / dehydrating.

Final Thoughts

This endless debate shows the difficulty in defining terms like “Natural” – one person’s definition may differ from another’s. At least when it comes to a question of whether or not this beloved baking staple is all-natural or not.
Nonetheless, knowing exactly what goes into our food products can help us make informed decisions about what we consume. Although technically classified as a refined starch that undergoes various industrial-stage processing steps en route there are still many things we love using cornstarch for- Making homemade laundry powder? Sure! Figuring out how you’re by any chance gonna use up those strange-looking ants in your pantry & kitchen? (awkward cough) Maybe best left unexplored…

Random Posts