Corn Silk for Food & Beverage Producers | TANDOR

Corn Silk as a Food & Beverage Ingredient

Corn Silk — the dried stigmas and styles of Zea mays L. — is used by food and beverage producers primarily in functional teas, herbal infusions, ready-to-drink beverages, and botanical extracts. Its mild, slightly sweet flavour profile and recognised botanical identity (documented in the HMPC Community Herbal Monograph and the European Pharmacopoeia general botanical framework) make it a workable ingredient for clean-label and organic product lines. Sourcing the correct form and specification is the critical first decision.

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Product Forms and Technical Specifications

Dried Corn Silk (Cut & Sifted / Milled Powder)

The standard commercial form for infusion blends and dry-mix applications is cut-and-sifted (C&S) dried corn silk, with a defined particle size typically between 1 mm and 5 mm. For powder applications (encapsulation, instant beverage blends, flavour carriers), a fine-milled powder passing 80–200 mesh (approximately 75–180 µm) is specified.

Core food-grade specifications for dried material:

• Moisture content: ≤10% (loss on drying, aligned with standard herbal material acceptance criteria)
• Ash (total): ≤12% on dry basis
• Acid-insoluble ash: ≤3% on dry basis
• Heavy metals: Lead ≤3.0 mg/kg, Cadmium ≤1.0 mg/kg, Mercury ≤0.1 mg/kg, Arsenic ≤1.0 mg/kg — aligned with EU maximum levels under Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and its amendments
• Pesticide residues: Screened against Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 MRL schedules; multi-residue GC-MS/LC-MS panel on each batch
• Mycotoxins: Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 and Ochratoxin A tested per Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 Annex limits for cereals and botanical materials
• Foreign matter: ≤2%

Aqueous and Hydroglycolic Concentrates

For RTD beverage, functional shot, and syrup applications, liquid corn silk concentrate is the most efficient form. Specifications that matter here:

• Brix (°Bx): Aqueous concentrates are typically standardised at 20–40 °Bx for RTD dilution applications; glycolic extracts range differently and are specified by solvent ratio (e.g. 1:3 or 1:5 herb-to-solvent). Confirm target Brix with your formulator before ordering.
• Solvent system: Water, food-grade glycerin (E422), or water/ethanol where permitted by the destination application and national food law
• pH: Typically 4.5–6.5 for aqueous concentrates; confirm stability requirements
• Preservative status: Preserve-free or potassium sorbate-preserved options; declare on product spec sheet
• Microbiological compliance: Liquid concentrates must meet EU Regulation 2073/2005 limits — aerobic mesophilic colony count, Enterobacteriaceae, absence of Salmonella spp. in 25 g/25 mL, E. coli limits — as a minimum panel

IQF Corn Silk

IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) fresh corn silk is occasionally specified by premium beverage producers seeking a 'fresh' flavour note or for cold-press extraction. This form demands a stricter cold-chain specification and shorter shelf life (typically 18–24 months at −18 °C). Microbiological compliance follows EU Regulation 2073/2005 for frozen botanical materials. IQF is a lower-volume, higher-logistics form — confirm supply continuity and thaw-use protocols with your formulation team before specifying.

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Allergen and Contaminant Panels

Corn Silk is derived from Zea mays (maize). Under EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, maize is not listed among the 14 major allergens requiring mandatory declaration. Nevertheless, food producers should obtain a written allergen statement covering cross-contamination risk from the processing facility, particularly where the same line handles cereals containing gluten. TANDOR provides a facility allergen declaration and cross-contamination risk statement alongside every Certificate of Analysis.

Standard contaminant panel per batch CoA:

• Pesticide residues (multi-residue, ≥200 compounds, GC-MS + LC-MS/MS)
• Heavy metals (ICP-MS: Pb, Cd, Hg, As)
• Mycotoxins (aflatoxins, OTA, optionally fumonisins for maize-adjacent materials)
• Salmonella spp. (absence in 25 g — EU Reg. 2073/2005)
• E. coli (enumeration — EU Reg. 2073/2005)
• Total aerobic count, yeasts & moulds
• Sulphur dioxide (if relevant to drying process)

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EU-Organic Certification

EU-Organic corn silk is available under Regulation (EU) 2018/848, the current EU organic production and labelling framework. Certified material carries a valid organic certificate from an accredited EU control body and is traceable back to the certified farm or collection area. For food producers wishing to label finished products as organic or include an organic botanical claim, the ingredient certificate must reference the EU organic logo eligibility and the certifying body's control number.

TANDOR can supply EU-Organic certified dried corn silk and, where available, organic concentrates. Organic availability is season- and origin-dependent — confirm current stock and harvest year at enquiry.

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Origin, MOQ, and Processing Realities

Origins supplied: Romania (domestic harvest), broader Eastern Europe, and selected non-EU origins (Ukraine, China, South America) with full import documentation, phytosanitary certificates, and EU border compliance handled by TANDOR. Multi-origin sourcing allows continuity when a single harvest is short.

MOQ: Dried C&S or powder — typically from 25 kg (food-grade sack or fibre drum); concentrates from 50–200 kg (IBC or drum). IQF from 100 kg. MOQ may vary by origin and season — confirm at enquiry.

Processing and traceability: All dried material is processed (cleaned, dried, milled where specified) in GMP-compliant facilities. Each batch is assigned a unique lot number, and TANDOR issues a Certificate of Analysis per batch covering identity (macroscopic and/or HPTLC), purity, and the full contaminant panel above.

Lead times: Dried material from stock: 5–15 business days ex-warehouse. Custom concentrates or IQF: 3–8 weeks depending on processor scheduling.

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Why Source via TANDOR?

TANDOR is a Romania-based EU botanical sourcing intermediary positioned specifically to serve European food and beverage manufacturers who need specification-grade botanical ingredients without building their own multi-country procurement infrastructure. Key practical advantages:

• Batch-level Certificate of Analysis — every order, not on request
• Multi-origin flexibility — switch origin without reformulation disruption when harvest volumes or quality vary
• EU-Organic certified options — with valid control-body documentation
• EU regulatory alignment — pesticide screening per Reg. 396/2005, micro per Reg. 2073/2005, contaminants per Reg. 1881/2006
• Single point of contact for specification queries, regulatory documentation, and logistics coordination

Submit a sourcing enquiry with your target form, Brix (if applicable), annual volume estimate, and any certification requirements.