White Maize: Cultural Importance, Nutritional Limitations, and Breeding Perspectives

White maize is a culturally important staple in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Europe, where consumer preferences and traditional food practices have shaped its production and use. Its characteristically low endosperm carotenoid content can limit provitamin A intake in maize-dependent populations and contribute to vulnerability to vitamin A deficiency. This review examines white maize consumption in developing and developed countries, carotenoid biosynthesis and nutritional functions, and genetic strategies for improving grain quality. In regions facing micronutrient deficiencies, provitamin A biofortification may help address vitamin A deficiency, while Quality Protein Maize and low-phytate traits offer complementary ways to improve essential amino acid supply and mineral bioavailability. In developed-country markets, breeding priorities include agronomic performance and grain and product characteristics suited to regional foods, such as milling, flour, bread, and polenta; white maize is also relevant to gluten-free food applications. The review highlights carotenoid-pathway genes, including PSY1/y1, LcyE, and CrtRB1, alongside opaque2-based protein improvement and low-phytic-acid mutations. It further discusses the value of landraces as sources of locally adapted diversity and the importance of consumer acceptance, processing, and storage in realizing nutritional benefits. Integrating conventional breeding with molecular tools, participatory selection, and end-use quality assessment can support nutrition-sensitive improvement while responding to local production systems and food cultures.