Origin:
Starch is a polysaccharide which is extracted from agricultural raw materials such as; corn, potatoes and wheat. Specifically, it is glucan, meaning that it only consists of glucose molecules all linked together like a chain.
Overview:
The usage of starch as the most versatile of nature’s ingredient goes back to many centuries and it has been utilized for a long time by men to provide energy, bulk and roughage in the diet.
Nowadays, starch is an essential ingredient presenting widely in literally so many of every day food and non-food applications. It functions as a water binder, stabilizer, thickener and glueing agent in various industries.
Types:
Here we’d like to point to the fact that modified starches and sweetener starches are quietly common among various types of industrial starches.
Modified starches are the result of a physical, chemical or enzymatic modification on pure starches. They categorize themselves into different types which each has their own features and functions, this makes them suitable for different industries such as; food, pharmaceutical, fermentation, oil and so on.
The industrial process of starch hydrolysis has made it possible to obtain a sweetener starch through heating with water and sulphuric acid. It is applied in a big diversified group of sectors like; food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical and fermentation.
Physical appearance:
Starch can physically appear as a white tasteless and odorless powder which is also insoluble in water.