Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Kansas State University received a $299,980 project grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), awarded on August 1, 2026, with completion scheduled for July 31, 2029. The project develops cost-effective technologies to produce corn fiber gum (CFG), a natural emulsifier, from corn bran and corn fiber—low-value co-products of the corn milling process. This research addresses the critical need for a domestically reliable alternative to imported gum arabic, which currently supplies the beverage and food industries but faces inconsistent supply and variable quality.

The grant funds three integrated research and extension objectives: (1) optimizing process conditions to produce CFG with desirable functional properties and disseminating findings to emulsifier producers; (2) determining the molecular structure, emulsifying properties, and antioxidant activity of CFG for end-user applications; and (3) conducting comprehensive techno-economic analysis of the production processes to support technology adoption. Throughout the project period, Kansas State University will conduct extension and outreach activities targeting dry milling and wet milling industries, emulsifier producers, government agencies, and other stakeholders to introduce and facilitate the commercialization of the new technologies, thereby increasing the value and utilization of corn processing byproducts.