Corn Stover for Food Applications: Approaches, Advances and Insights

Corn processing generates substantial volumes of agricultural by-products, collectively referred to as corn stover, comprising husks, cobs, stalks, leaves, and silks. Although rich in bioactive compounds, these by-products are still predominantly destined for low-value uses such as landfilling and open-field burning. They contain valuable biomolecules such as lignocellulosic fibers, starch, pectin, proteins, and polyphenols, all of which hold significant potential for applications in agricultural and food industries. These compounds offer opportunities as sustainable alternatives to conventional ingredients and as novel functional additives. However, utilization of corn stover remains focused on biofuel production, limiting the development of applications in broader, high-value fields such as functional food ingredients. This review aims to highlight the opportunities that corn stover presents for developing solutions for food production, which is becoming increasingly important as the global population continues to grow and food demand rises, particularly in regions where access to sufficient and nutritious food remains limited. It also considers the challenges to be solved in order to incorporate corn stover in circular economies, like the impact of pesticide presence on derived products and gaps of emerging strategies for scaling up production in alignment with circular economy goals and the high-value utilization of corn stover.