5. Effects of processing on starch structure

The disintegration of starch in dry wheat flour can be caused, in addition to the effect of mechanical stress, the consequences of which are clearly visible in figure 1 , by thermal and chemical factors, as well as by high-energy radiation. Starch disintegration can be described quantitatively by various analytical methods, almost always involving either the reaction of soluble starch with iodine, or the transformation of starch with special enzymes. Quantitative data (in % of disintegrated starch) from the different methods do not converge. There is some correlation between the methods, but it remains unsatisfactory. All experts agree that starch...