Chapter 20 - Starch Use in Foods

Abstract

The sources of starch, its applications, and its interactions with other ingredients have been elaborated in this chapter. Impact of processing and storage on foods containing cooked starch is also discussed. Starch is used in a wide range of foods for a variety of purposes including thickening, gelling, adding stability, and replacing or extending more costly ingredients. Starches are favored for their availability, comparatively low cost, and unique properties. An understanding of the mechanism underlying each effect is necessary to make the best use of starch in the functions. To gain that understanding, it is helpful to track the changes that starch undergoes during pasting and cooling, and the impact these have on the structures of foods. The selection of a starch for a given use depends on the desired food properties, as well as the processing and distribution stresses involved. Various processing factors influence the physical structures and distribution of a starch in a food system. The relative utility of starches in foods is a function of differences in viscosity, stability to processing and distribution, and gel strength. Differences in percentage of amylose and amylopectin in part account for differences in pasting properties. Modification allows starch to maintain desirable appearance and texture despite stresses during food processing and distribution, and to expand its range of utility in foods.