UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 53 of 100

UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Maize Starch Biodiesel Alcohol

Consider the following statements:

1. Maize can be used for the production of starch.

2. Oil extracted from maize can be a feedstock for biodiesel.

3. Alcoholic beverages can be produced by using maize.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 1 and 2 only
  3. 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

Verdict

The answer is 1, 2 and 3. Maize yields industrial starch, its oil can be a biodiesel feedstock and it is widely used to make alcoholic beverages.

Analysis

Statement 1 is CORRECT. Wet milling of maize is one of the world's largest sources of industrial starch, and derived products include glucose syrup and modified starches. Statement 2 is CORRECT. Corn oil, extracted from the germ, can be transesterified into biodiesel. Statement 3 is CORRECT. Maize is fermented to make beer and spirits, and the same fermentation route is used for fuel ethanol, which is why maize sits at the centre of the food versus fuel debate.

Source

Food and Agriculture Organization material on maize and its industrial uses.

How to crack it

For any major cereal, three uses are structurally available because of what the grain contains: starch gives industrial starch and, through fermentation, alcohol, while the germ gives oil and therefore biodiesel. Reason from grain composition and you can answer uses questions about maize, rice, wheat or sorghum without specific recall. The current affairs hook worth carrying is the ethanol blending programme, which keeps maize and sugarcane in the news together.

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