The U.S. corn wet milling industry has grown tremendously since starch hydrolysis was first practiced commercially in the USA in 1842 and the first facility producing sweeteners from corn starch was founded in 1866. Today, more than 55 percent of the U.S. per capita consumption of natural sweeteners is derived from corn. Annual U.S. consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) alone is estimated at 43 pounds (19.5 kg) per person, when food losses are taken into account. Corn refiners use over 535 million bushels (13.59 million metric tons) of corn to produce HFCS - more than five percent of the annual U.S. corn crop. Product diversification that enables corn refiners to divert starch production to other fermentation and/or bio-products including ethanol, organic acids, amino acids, polyols, trehalose, and polylactic acid, and new product innovation, are key factors in the strength of the corn wet milling sector and hold great promise in ushering in a new era for the industry.