When Columbus first sailed to America, its inhabitants had already developed more than 200 types of maize.

There are 52 million Hispanics in the U.S., representing 16.7% of the total U.S. population. That many people are certainly having an impact on the food industry, and there’s no question that Latinos are quickly changing America’s palate.

Prior to 1970’s, there was little research on food, culture, behaviors, which addressed Hispanics in America or the socio-demographic factors affecting their health. Three decades later, there is a surge of interest in Hispanics and their health, as a result of dramatic growth in the Hispanic population.