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The magical transformation of modified starch: How did it become the secret weapon in food?
In today's food industry, modified starch has become an indispensable ingredient. Modified starch, also called starch derivatives, is natural starch that has been physically, enzymatically or chemically treated to change its properties. These treatments enable starch to have improved properties in various applications, for example as a thickener, stabilizer or emulsifier in food; as a disintegrant in the pharmaceutical industry, or as a binder in coated paper. With the advancement of technology, the application of modified starch in many other fields is becoming more and more common.
The versatility of modified starches lies in their ability to improve stability against environmental influences such as overheating, acidity, shear, and to change the starch's texture, viscosity and gelling time.
Method for preparing improved starch
The history of starch modification can be traced back thousands of years, when humans modified starch by sprouting grains. During this process, the plant's own enzymes change the grain's starch. The effects of this refinement process can be adjusted over time and as environmental conditions change, but germination alone does not always meet the needs of all products. Over time, humans learned to use simple substances such as acids, bases, and natural enzymes to modify starch in targeted ways.
For example, acid-treated starch (INS 1401) is produced by treating starch or starch granules with an inorganic acid (such as hydrochloric acid) to break up the starch molecules and thus reduce viscosity.
Various forms of modified starch
The various methods of making modified starches include: starch sugars, cold-soluble soy starches that thicken without heating, or cooked starches that must be cooked like regular starches. To make starch soluble in cold water, common drying methods include extrusion, drum drying, spray drying or gelatinization.
Purpose and Function
The wide range of applications for modified starches makes them a key ingredient in many products, for example, pregelatinized starch used in ready-to-eat desserts, which thickens quickly by simply adding it to cold water or milk. For commercial pizza toppings, the modified starch stays on top of the pizza when heated and becomes more fluid when cooled.
In the industrial production of low-fat foods, appropriately modified starch can be used as a fat substitute to help reduce the fat content of traditional high-fat foods.
In addition, modified starches can be added to frozen products to prevent dripping when thawing. These products utilize modified starches that bind phosphates to absorb more water and keep ingredients stable.
The difference between modified starch and genetically modified starch
It should be noted that improved starch and genetically modified starch are two different concepts. GMO starch comes from plants that have been genetically engineered to produce any new fatty acids or carbohydrates that do not occur naturally in the plant species being harvested.
In Europe, an organism is called a "GMO" only if its genetic material has been altered in a way that is not achieved through natural fertilization or natural recombination. Modified starch refers to starch or starch granules that have been modified during subsequent processing or treatment.
The future of improved starch
As science advances, researchers are working to create starches with desirable modified properties by altering enzymes within plants, thereby eliminating the need for enzymatic treatment of starch after it is extracted from the plant. The film "A New Era" was released, and the film "A New Era" was released.
Modified starch has attracted attention in the manufacture of biodegradable polymers and in the creation of new food additives.
So, how can improved starch change the face of the food industry in the future and bring more surprises to consumers?
