What’s in the can?
Cream-style sweet corn
I hankered after a good old-fashioned, creamed corn toasted sandwich, but I came across a recipe from my late sister Dianne for a crusty, cheesy corn dish and decided to make that instead. Sweet Corn with Cheesy Crust
I purchased the ingredients, choosing the only canned corn available at the time (Woolworth’s Own Brand Creamed Corn). When I opened it, I thought it had gone off. It doesn’t look great, does it? And it’s certainly not how I remember canned cream-style corn. So, I investigated. I bought another can and hunted down a can of the brand I am familiar with (Wattie’s Hawke’s Bay Cream Style Corn). But the second can of Own Brand creamed corn was the same. It was time to read the labels.
Wattie’s Hawke’s Bay Cream Style Corn
Sweet corn (80%), water, sugar, maize thickener (1414), salt.
(Sorry, Watties, but I am writing sweet corn as two words, as it is corn that is sweet.)
My little book of food numbers (NZ Food Safety Authority) tells me that 1414 is a modified starch, Acetylated distarch phosphate.
Then I saw this: Made in New Zealand from local and imported ingredients. How come? It states Hawke’s Bay corn on the front of the label ‘NZ Grown Corn’. So it must be the 1414 that’s imported.
The label also says ‘No Preservatives, No Added Colours or Flavours’.
Woolworth’s Own Brand Creamed Corn
Sweet corn (48%), water, corn starch, sugar, salt, acidity regulator (citric acid). It has one more ingredient (acidity regulator). It doesn’t give a Food Additive number for the corn starch.
Again, referring to my little book of food numbers, I see that ‘Acidity regulators (including acids and alkalis) adjust the acid or alkaline level in food or maintain a sour or sharp taste. An acidified food can retard the growth of some microorganisms.’ Citric acid is number 330.
Then the country of origin: Product of Thailand.
The nail in the coffin, though, is not that the corn in the can imported from Thailand looks weird and that I’d rather buy local and support local when possible, but that it contains ONLY 48% corn compared to the Wattie’s can of corn which contains 80% corn. The Thai product appears ro be bulked up with corn starch. The choice is obvious.
