Bart Heyman

Processing of waxy starch/xanthan gum mixtures within the gelatinization temperature range.

Pasting experiments of waxy potato and waxy maize starch systems were set up in which temperatures close to the gelatinization temperature were selected (67.5, 70 and 72.5°C). DSC measurements showed that under these conditions small fractions of the starches remained ungelatinized. During the pasting process two different shear rates were imposed (50s(-1) and 150s(-1)) to investigate the shear stability of the different starch containing systems. Swelling of the granules occurred in a more controlled manner and granule breakdown during pasting could be limited. As a result of these heating conditions more swollen granules are present, as confirmed by laser light diffraction. This positive effect was clearly noticeable in the flow curves of the cooled pastes. Xanthan gum addition could further reduce breakdown either by restricting the swelling or by stabilizing the granules. At higher starch contents the former is most likely dominating.

Influence of xanthan transition on the rheological properties of waxy starches.

The effects of xanthan gum on the properties of waxy starch systems were investigated with a particular focus on the conformational transition of xanthan. Different types of starches were used in this setup: maize, potato, chemically modified maize and rice. Under dilute conditions, xanthan gum and its transition did not affect the gelatinization of the starches. However, significant effects on the pasting behavior were observed, where the xanthan transition caused a significant reduction of the viscosity. It was demonstrated that xanthan can limit the breakdown of sensitive starch granules and that this effect might be enhanced by the xanthan transition. Flow curves of the cooled pastes showed that granule integrity is a prerequisite for optimal xanthan functionality, but the granule stabilizing effect of xanthan was too limited under these pasting conditions to significantly influence the flow behavior.