Maize (Zea mays L.) is a major staple food grain throughout theworld, particularly in Africa, Latin America and Asia, and amajor feedstuff in developed countries. The maize grain has manyfood (grain, flour, syrup, oil…) and non-food usages (cosmetics,adhesives, paints, varnishes). Maize starch and oil are alsomajor products (Ecocrop, 2010). The maize grain is a major feedgrain and a standard component of livestock diets where it isused as a source of energy. Other grains are typically comparedto maize when their nutritional value is estimated. Manyby-products of maize processing for flour (hominy feed, bran,germs, oil meal), starch (corn gluten feed, corn gluten meal) andalcohol/biofuel industries (distillers’ dried grains andsolubles) can be fed to animals.

Maize breeders have created many cultivars that correspond tospecific climatic or agronomic conditions and uses. “Dent corn”maize is the most widely grown type of maize and the onetypically used for feed. Other types (flint corn, popcorn, sweetcorn, flour corn) are more intended for food uses. Some varietieshave been created to improve the industrial or nutritional value:high lysine, high tryptophan, high oil, high amylose, lowphytate, etc. Brown midrib maize has a lower lignin contentresulting in an increased digestibility in livestock.Genetically-modified (GM) maize varieties have been designed toimprove grain performances (herbicide resistance, pestresistance, higher yields).