Effects of jet-cooking conditions upon intrinsic viscosity and flow properties of starches

Abstract

This work examined the sensitivity of intrinsic viscosity values of jet-cooked waxy maize starch to initial pH conditions and the effects of jet-cooker steam pressure parameters upon the intrinsic viscosity and flow viscosity values of four jet-cooked starches. Flow viscosities of the 10 wt % cooked starches and intrinsic viscosities in 90% DMSO-H2O were the lowest when mixing and turbulence during steam jet-cooking was increased (i.e., by adjusting steam line pressure vs. pressure within the cooking chamber to allow greater amounts of steam to flow through the apparatus). The percent decreases of the intrinsic viscosity caused by the most severe cooking conditions compared to gentle cooking conditions were 52, 45, 32, and 12, respectively, for waxy maize, waxy rice, normal maize, and 70% high amylose maize starches. Initial pH values, from 3 to 10.5, of waxy maize starch had minor effects upon the intrinsic viscosity of the jet-cooked material. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.