Functionality of Native Starches in Food Systems: Cluster Analysis Grouping of Rheological Properties in Different Product Matrices.

Joanna Le Thanh-Blicharz,Jacek Lewandowicz

doi:10.3390/foods9081073

Abstract

Industrial application of starch as a texture-forming agent is primarily limited to preparations obtained from waxy corn and potatoes. The main reason behind this is its functionality, which depends mostly on rheological properties. However, in food product matrices, these properties change. Despite the vast amount of information on the rheological properties of various starches, the rational choice of thickener appears to be an extremely difficult task. The aim of the work is to systemize the information on the rheological properties of most popular starches in matrices of various food products, applying principal component and cluster analyses. The investigated material is potato and corn starch of the normal and waxy varieties. Binary mixtures containing salts or sweetening agents, as well as four different food products (ketchup, mayonnaise, pudding, and jelly), are investigated. It was found that compared to normal varieties, waxy starches reveal many similar rheological properties in all investigated models and food systems. Furthermore, in most applications, one waxy starch variety may be substituted by another, with no significant impact on the rheological properties and texture of the food product. Moreover, waxy starch preparations are less altered by the presence of cosolutes, i.e., salts and sugar alcohols. Starch model systems were proven to be useful only for rapid thickener screening tests and cannot be recommended as a final reference for the quality design of food products.

Highlights

The importance of starch in food production is not limited to be the main source of energy in human nutrition
Corn starch was characterized by a medium type of swelling characteristics, indicated by a lack of breakdown and a moderate value of setback, which is typical for this variety
The employed equation was very well fitted to the experimental data as values of the coefficient of determination (R2 ) exceeded 0.98. Both normal starch varieties were characterized by higher values of the consistency index compared to their waxy counterparts. This phenomenon could be associated with the lack of gelling properties of waxy starches, which is related to the lack of amylose, resulting in relatively low viscosity of these preparations, especially at low shear rates

Summary

Introduction

The importance of starch in food production is not limited to be the main source of energy in human nutrition. It is the most popular texture-forming agent, which is related to its appropriate physicochemical properties, the safety of use, and low price. Starches of different botanical origins reveal a huge diversity in their structure and composition, including their amylose-to-amylopectin ratio and minor (lipids, proteins, and minerals) constituent content. As a consequence, they display various functional properties such as thickening capability, gelling or stabilizing ability, and transparency [1]. The clean label trend observed in recent years increases the interest of food producers in the use of native, especially waxy, starches [7]

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