Native and modified food starches

Starch is the main carbohydrate reserve of higher plants. It represents a significant weight fraction in a large number of agricultural raw materials such as cereals (30% to 70%), tubers (60% to 90%) and legumes (25% to 50%).

Starch is the main source of energy for animal life, and 50% of industrially produced starch is used for human consumption. Starch is an abundant, renewable and inexpensive nutritional compound with multiple functions in foods, as a thickener, gelling agent and binder in its granular starch starch form, and as a sweetener, binder and carrier when used in hydrolyzed form.

The term starch is retained for cereals (corn, wheat, rice), while starch is preferred for tuber (potato) or root (manioc) starches.

Starch production is a heavy industry, given the tonnages processed and the investment required in equipment, skills and research.

This is a highly concentrated industry, with five groups accounting for over 85% of starch production in Europe (cf. Economic aspects).

The different origins of starches, combined with the chemical and physical modifications that can be applied, can at first sight make the approach to starches complex and put off formulators.

The aim of this article is to provide useful information on the structure and behavior of starches during cooking, and on the benefits of various modifications to facilitate their use.

Examples, detailed applications and selection tables for modified starches will familiarize the reader with the vast world of starches.