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Modified starch, also calledstarchderivatives, is prepared byphysically,enzymatically, orchemically treating nativestarch to change its properties.[1] Modified starches are used in practically all starch applications, such as in food products as athickening agent,stabilizer oremulsifier; inpharmaceuticals as adisintegrant; or as binder incoated paper. They are also used in many other applications.[2]
Starches are modified to enhance their performance in different applications and are one of the components of UPFs (Ultra Processed Foods). Starches may be modified to increase their stability against excessive heat, acid, shear, time, cooling, or freezing, to change theirtexture, to decrease or increase theirviscosity, to lengthen or shortengelatinization time or to increase theirvisco-stability.
An ancient way of modifying starch ismalting grain, which humans have done for thousands of years. The plant's ownenzymes modify the grain's starches. The effects can be modulated by varying the duration and the ambient conditions of the process. However, malting alone is not a limitless or optimized tool for every desirable end product. In recent centuries, humans have expanded their repertoire of starch-modifying methods by learning how to use simple substances such asacids,alkalis, andenzymes from nature to modify starches in tailored ways.
Acid-treated starch (INS 1401),[3] also called thin boiling starch, is prepared by treatingstarch or starch granules withinorganic acids, e.g.hydrochloric acid (equivalent tostomach acid), breaking down the starch molecule and thus reducing the viscosity.
Other treatments producing modified starch (with differentINS andE-numbers) are:
and combined modifications such as
Modified starch may also be a cold-water-soluble,pregelatinized or instant starch which thickens and gels without heat, or a cook-up starch which must be cooked like regular starch. Drying methods to make starches cold-water-soluble areextrusion,drum drying,spray drying ordextrinization.
Other starch derivatives, the starch sugars, likeglucose,high fructose syrup,glucose syrups,maltodextrins, starch degraded withamylaseenzyme are mainly sold as liquidsyrup to make asweetener.
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Pre-gelatinized starch is used to thicken instantdesserts, allowing the food to thicken with the addition of cold water or milk.[citation needed] Similarly,cheese sauce granules such as inmacaroni and cheese,lasagna, orgravy granules may be thickened with boiling water without the product going lumpy. Commercialpizza toppings containing modified starch will thicken when heated in the oven, keeping them on top of the pizza, and then become runny when cooled.[4]
A suitably modified starch is used as afat substitute for low-fat versions of traditionally fatty foods,[5] e.g.industrial milk-based desserts likeyogurt[6] or reduced-fat hardsalami[7] having about 1/3 the usual fat content. For the latter type of uses, it is an alternative to the productOlestra.
Modified starch is added to frozen products to prevent them from dripping when defrosted. Modified starch, bonded withphosphate, allows the starch to absorb more water and keeps the ingredients together.[8] Modified starch acts as an emulsifier forFrench dressing by enveloping oil droplets and suspending them in the water. Acid-treated starch forms the shell ofjelly beans. Oxidized starch increases the stickiness ofbatter.
Carboxymethylated starches are used as awallpaper adhesive, astextile printing thickener, astabletdisintegrants andexcipients in the pharmaceutical industry.
Cationic starch is used as wet endsizing agent inpaper manufacturing.
Modified starch should not be confused withgenetically modified starch, which refers to starch fromgenetically engineered plants, such as those that have been genetically modified to produce novel fatty acids or carbohydrates which might not occur in the plant species being harvested. In Europe the term "Genetically Modified Organism" is used solely where "the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally through fertilisation and/or natural recombination".[9] The modification in "genetically modified" refers to the genetic engineering of the plantDNA, whereas in the term "Modified Starch" seen onmandatoryingredientlabels it refers to the later processing or treatment of the starch or starch granules.
Genetically modified starch is of interest in the manufacture ofbiodegradable polymers and noncellulose feedstock in thepaper industry, as well as the creation of newfood additives. For example, researchers aim to alter the enzymes within living plants to create starches with desirable modified properties, and thus eliminate the need for enzymatic processing after starch is extracted from the plant.[10]