Modified Starch - Modification Methods

Modification Methods

Acid-treated starch (E1401), also called thin boiling starch, is prepared by treating starch or starch granules with inorganic acids, e.g. hydrochloric acid breaking down the starch molecule and thus reducing the viscosity.

Other treatments producing modified starch (with different E numbers) are:

• dextrin (E1400), roasted starch with hydrochloric acid
• alkaline-modified starch (E1402) with sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide
• bleached starch (E1403) with hydrogen peroxide
• oxidized starch (E1404) with sodium hypochlorite, breaking down viscosity
• enzyme-treated starch (INS: 1405), maltodextrin, cyclodextrin
• monostarch phosphate (E1410) with phosphorous acid or the salts sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, or sodium triphosphate to reduce retrogradation
• distarch phosphate (E1412) by esterification with for example sodium trimetaphosphate, crosslinked starch modifying the rheology, the texture
• acetylated starch (E1420) esterification with acetic anhydride
• hydroxypropylated starch (E1440), starch ether, with propylene oxide, increasing viscosity stability
• hydroxyethyl starch, with ethylene oxide
• Octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) starch (E1450) used as emulsifier adding hydrophobicity
• cationic starch, adding positive electrical charge to starch
• carboxymethylated starch with monochloroacetic acid adding negative charge

and combined modifications such as phosphated distarch phosphate (E1413), hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (E1442), acetylated oxidized starch (E1451).

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 are extrusion, drum drying or spray drying.

Other starch derivates are glucose, high fructose syrup and glucose syrups, starch degraded with amylase enzyme to make a sweetener.