Thai study links starch granule size to starch blend properties

A new study suggests that the relative size of starch granules used in a blend could determine overall gelation behaviour and whether or not the starch components add to each others' properties or interact to deliver new ones.

Starches have widespread uses in the food industry, but as the researchers of the new study accepted for publication in Food Research International pointed out, in its native form its functional properties are not always optimised. This means that starch is often chemically modified to improve its properties.

The problem is, however, that consumers are veering away from foods that contain artificial and chemically-adapted additives - as modified starch must be labelled. This means that there is an upsurge of interest in other, non-chemical ways of improving the functionality.

The researchers from Thailand said that one possibility is the blending of different starches, to improve properties such as pasting, texture, and stability.

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