Clean label starches as thickeners in white sauces. Shearing, heating and freeze/thaw stability

Enhanced gelling property and freeze-thaw stability of potato, tapioca and corn starches modified by mild heating in aqueous ethanol solution

BACKGROUND

Physically modified starches can be classified as natural ingredients on food labels and clean label products. Thus, the market demand for physically modified starch is increasing. Potato, tapioca and corn starches were physically modified by mild heat treatment in an alcoholic solution to enhance their gelling property and freeze-thaw stability.

RESULTS

During mild heating of starch suspension (40% w/w) in 10% ethanol solution at the onset gelatinization temperature, granular swelling of starch occurred, followed by amylose leaching with medication of the surface structure of the starch granules. All treated starches exhibited increased gelatinization and pasting temperatures and decreased breakdown for pasting as a result of improved stability against shear and heat. The treated starches had higher hardness, cohesiveness and springiness of gel than the respective native starches, and these gel properties were more pronounced in potato starch than in tapioca and corn starches. The treated starches showed substantially reduced gel syneresis during freeze-thawing.

CONCLUSION

Physical modification of starch by mild heat treatment in an alcoholic solution substantially improved its gelation ability and freeze-thaw stability. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Enhancing functional properties of rice starches through hydroxypropylation for development of reduced-fat white sauces

Present study investigated the preparation of commonly used white sauce with 50 % less added fat by using 10 % hydroypropylated Irri and Basmati rice starches in the formulation. The sauces incorporated with hydroxypropylated starches exhibited significantly lower gelatinization temperature and time, while the change in maximum viscosity was insignificant. Significantly improved stability at ambient, refrigeration, and freezing temperatures of reduced-fat white sauces was observed whereas change in the taste was insignificant. Basmati hydroxypropylated starch containing white sauce significantly mimicked the sensory properties of full-fat sauces. The hydroxypropyl groups were found to be 1.06 % and 1.16 % for Basmati and Irri hydroxypropylated starches, respectively. These values fall below the specified limit set by the Food and Drug Administration for the food grade hydroxypropylated starches. Significant improvements in peak viscosity, swelling power, solubility, percent transmittance, and water retention capacity were observed after the chemical modification of both rice varieties.

Impact of pH on physicochemical properties of corn starch by dry heat treatment

This study investigated the effects of temperature, pH, and starch genotype on starch characteristics after dry heat treatment (DHT). DHT starches were prepared according to 19 DHT conditions, constructed using a D-optimal design, and analyzed with respect to apparent amylose (AAM) content, X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, relative crystallinity (RC), solubility and swelling power (SP), thermal properties, and pasting viscosity. The DHT starches maintained their granular structures even after DHT at pH 3, although there was some damage to their granular surfaces. The DHT starches showed lower amylose content, RC, SP, gelatinization temperature and enthalpy, degree of retrogradation, and pasting viscosity, but higher solubility, compared to those of native starches. These DHT effects were more pronounced as pH decreased at each temperature, regardless of the starch genotype. Overall, DHT can be used to expand the physical functionality of high-amylose and highly crystallized starches with poor properties.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01353-7.

Understanding the Relationship between the Molecular Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Soft Rice Starch

The relationship between the molecular structure and physicochemical properties of soft rice starch (SRS) has been investigated in this research. The amylose content of SRS ranged from 10.76% to 11.85%, classified as the very low amylose type. Compared to waxy and japonica rice starch, the largest amount of small starch granules and the highest viscosity were shown in the SRS. The results of X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared proved that the SRS depicted a typical A-type pattern with a low short-range ordered structure. Additionally, SRS had a great deal of A and B1 chains. Molecular weights and density of starch from soft rice were lower than those from waxy rice but higher than those from japonica rice. Furthermore, SRS possessed a higher amount of resistant starch. Correlation analysis indicated that the amylose content and the chain-length distributions of amylopectin play a major role in influencing the molecular structure and physicochemical properties of rice starch. In conclusion, the low amylose content, highest viscosity, and other excellent properties of soft rice starch make it have bright application prospects in instant rice and rice cakes.

Generating waxy rice starch with target type of amylopectin fine structure and gelatinization temperature by waxy gene editing

Waxy rice, which lacks amylose, is an important variant in rice, and its starches have been widely used. New waxy rice varieties generated via the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system is described. Herein, four waxy rice starches with different physicochemical properties were successfully obtained by the CRISPR/Cas9 editing Waxy (Wx) gene. The results showed that the amylose content (AC) of wx mutant starches ranged from 0.26 to 1.78 %, and CZBwx1 starches had the best gel consistency and highest water solubility among all wx mutants. Mutations of Wx^b allele produced more short-chains (degree of chain polymerization (DP) 6-11), and less medium- and long-chains (DP12-70) than that of Wx^a, while the AC of Wx^a allele mutants was higher than the mutations of Wx^b allele. The gelatinization temperature (GT) of wx^a mutant starches was higher than that of wx^b mutant starches. Moreover, we found that the GT and amylopectin fine structure type of waxy rice starch did not change after Wx gene editing. Based on these findings, it is possible to produce waxy rice starch with different physicochemical properties, containing target GT and chain length distributions of amylopectin.

Influence of Methods of Corn Starch Modification and Used Sweetener on the Functional Properties of Blackberry Jelly-like Dessert

A study was conducted on selected physicochemical properties of blackberry jelly-like desserts (kissel) prepared from physically modified starches (with various degrees of inhibition) and chemically modified starches (with various degrees of cross-linking). The desserts were conventionally sweetened with saccharose (S) or, as a dietary alternative, xylitol (X). The characteristics of changes in the viscosity of the kissels as a function of temperature and time were determined. It was noted that regardless of the sweetener used, the viscosity of the kissels increased with the decreasing degree of inhibition (high < medium < low). Regardless of the kind of modification of the starch used for the preparation of the kissels and of the kind of sweetener, thixotropy was observed. Desserts prepared from inhibited starch with xylitol (CL + X) were characterised by the biggest range of their hysteresis loop. Progressing retrogradation was noted with the decrease in the temperature of the experiment (+20 °C and +4 °C). After 7 days of storage, kissels sweetened with saccharose were characterised by a low transparency, which may indicate retarded retrogradation; however, on day 28, the transparency significantly increased, exceeding the values of transmittance for samples sweetened with xylitol. The tendency towards syneresis was tested at +4 °C and −22 °C. The substitution of saccharose with xylitol only caused a slight modification of viscosity. Regardless of the sweetener used and of the level of starch inhibition, lower ranges of the hysteresis loop were noted (apart from CL + X) than in the case of kissels obtained from chemically modified starches. Distinctly lower values of kissel “aging” indices were noted in the case of samples obtained from inhibited starches, and their colour did not significantly differ in relation to the dessert prepared from native starch.

Pickering emulsion stabilized by hydrolyzed starch: Effect of the molecular weight

HYPOTHESIS

The emulsifying ability of starch is influenced by its molecular weight. Reducing the molecular weight of starch is expected to influence interfacial adsorption and membrane elasticities, thereby affecting its emulsifying ability through Pickering effects. Hence, it should be possible to tailor the emulsifying ability of starch by adjusting its molecular weight.

EXPERIMENTS

Waxy corn starch (CS) and rice starch (RS) were hydrolyzed with pullulanase to obtain high (HM) and low molecular weight (LM) fractions. After the molecular weight was determined by size exclusion chromatography, the fractions were used to prepare model oil-in-water emulsions. The stability, microscopy, and particle size of the emulsions were characterized, and the underlying emulsification mechanism was subsequently studied through dynamic laser scattering, surface tension analysis, interfacial rheology, and Pearson's correlation calculations.

FINDINGS

In the molecular weight range obtained in this study, the smaller the molecular weight of starch, the stronger its emulsifying ability. The decrease in molecular weight resulted in considerable different adsorption and interfacial elasticities with smaller fractions occupying less area on the interface and forming interfaces with higher elasticities, resulting in higher stabilities through Pickering effects. Results thus suggest that the emulsifying ability of starch may be tailored by adjusting its molecular weight.

Development of Freeze-Thaw Stable Starch through Enzymatic Modification

The use of unmodified starch in frozen foods can cause extremely undesirable textural changes after the freeze-thaw process. In this study, using cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) and branching enzymes, an amylopectin cluster with high freeze-thaw stability was produced, and was named CBAC. It was found to have a water solubility seven times higher, and a molecular weight 77 times lower, than corn starch. According to the results of a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, dough containing 5% CBAC lost 19% less water than a control dough after three freeze-thaw cycles. During storage for 7 days at 4 °C, bread produced using CBAC-treated dough exhibited a 14% smaller retrogradation peak and 37% less hardness than a control dough, suggesting that CBAC could be a potential candidate for clean label starch, providing high-level food stability under repeated freeze-thaw conditions.

Clean Label Trade-Offs: A Case Study of Plain Yogurt

Consumer demand for clean label has risen in recent years. However, clean label foods with simple and minimalistic ingredient lists are often expensive to produce and/or may possess less desirable sensory qualities. Accordingly, understanding consumer preferences regarding the clean label trend would be of great interest to the food industry. Here we investigate how ingredient lists and associated sensory quality descriptions may influence consumer preferences using a hypothetical choice experiment. In particular, we test the impacts of four common stabilizers (carrageenan, corn starch, milk protein concentrate, and pectin) and textural characteristics on preferences and willingness to pay for plain yogurt. A total of 250 yogurt consumers participated in the study. The results of a mixed logit analysis suggest that clean labeling significantly increases the likelihood of consumer choice, while poor texture reduces consumer choice. More importantly, the negative impact of poor texture seems to be less significant for clean label yogurts compared to that for yogurts with longer ingredient lists. Among all stabilizers, corn starch in particular has a significant negative impact on consumer choice. The estimated average consumer willingness to pay for clean labels is between $2.54 and $3.53 for 32 oz yogurt formulations. Furthermore, clean labels minimize the negative impact of textural defects with consumers willing to pay an estimated premium of $1.61 for the family size yogurt with a simple ingredient list. Results of latent class modeling reveal two classes of consumers with similar patterns of demand who prefer clean labels and, on average, would rather purchase a yogurt with a textural defect than opt out of purchasing a yogurt entirely. Implications for the food industry are discussed.

Clean label starch: production, physicochemical characteristics, and industrial applications

Recently, health-conscious consumers have a tendency to avoid the use of modified starch in their food products because of reluctance regarding food additives or chemical processes. The present paper considers the characteristics and manufacturing methods of clean label starch, which is free from chemical modification. Clean label starch manufacturing is mainly dependent on starch blending, physical and enzymatic modification methods. Physical modifications include ultrasound, hydrothermal (e.g., heat-moisture treatment and annealing), pre-gelatinization (e.g., drum drying, roll drying, spray cooking, and extrusion cooking), high-pressure (high hydrostatic pressure), and pulsed electric field treatments. These physical processes allow variation of starch properties, such as morphological, thermal, rheological, and pasting properties. Enzyme treatment can change the properties of starch more dramatically. Actual use of clean label starch with such altered properties has occurred in industry and is described here. This review may provide useful information on the current status and future direction of clean label starch in the field of food science.

Late-Maturity Alpha-Amylase in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Its Impact on Fresh White Sauce Qualities

When wheat experiences a cold-temperature ‘shock’ during the late stage of grain filling, it triggers the abnormal synthesis of late-maturity α-amylase (LMA). This increases the enzyme content in affected grain, which can lead to a drastic reduction in falling number (FN). By commercial standards, a low FN is taken as an indication of inferior quality, deemed unsuitable for end-product usage. Hence, LMA-affected grains are either rejected or downgraded to feed grade at the grain receiving point. However, previous studies have found no substantial correlation between low FN-LMA and bread quality. The present study extends previous investigations to semi-solid food, evaluating the physical quality of fresh white sauce processed from LMA-affected flour. Results show that high-LMA flours had low FNs and exhibited poor pasting characteristics. However, gelation occurred in the presence of other components during fresh white sauce processing. This demonstrates that LMA-affected flours may have new applications in low-viscosity products.

Insights into the relationship between structure and rheological properties of starch gels in hot-extrusion 3D printing

This work investigated the relationship between structure, rheological properties and 3D printability of starch. For this purpose, the structural evolution of various starch gels at different concentrations and printing temperatures was systematically studied. The mechanical strength (G', τ_y) and extrudability (τ_f) of CS and RS gels were used to determine its 3D printability. Furthermore, G', τ_y and τ_f were closely related to the structure of starch and starch gel network. Ascribing to compact and stable gel network, CS samples with 20% concentration at 70-75 °C printing temperature and RS samples with 15-20% concentration at 75-80 °C printing temperature displayed preferable printing values (G', τ_y and τ_f), indicating the suitability for HE-3DP. RS samples exhibited higher mechanical strength than CS samples and were more suitable to print owing to the formation of new crystal structure. Overall, this work provided important information for HE-3DP based foods with good printability.

Chemical, structural, and thermal characterization of starches from four yellow Arracacha (Arracacia xanthorriza) roots produced in Colombia

In recent years, interest has increased in the search for new starch sources, especially among Andean tubers, such as Arracacha (or Peruvian Carrot). This work studied the chemical composition, structural features, and thermal and adsorption properties of four sub-varieties of yellow Arracacha grown in Colombia: comun (Com), cartagenera (Car), yema de huevo (YH) and clon 22 (C22). Starches from the Com, Car and YH sub varieties presented similar properties, amylose content around 30%, relative crystallinity around 31% and gelatinization temperature around 60 °C. On the other hand, starch from the Clon 22 (C22) variety presented the highest amylose content, leading to an increase in gelatinization temperature (63 °C), and lower relative crystallinity (24%). Furthermore, digestibility studies show that C22 presented a higher resistant starch content. Our results show that Arracacha is a very interesting starch source, despite few studies on the properties of the different sub-varieties.

Effects of high temperature during two growth stages on caryopsis development and physicochemical properties of starch in rice

Global warming may affect the development of rice at different growth stages, thereby decreasing rice yield and deteriorating grain quality. The difference in rice responses to high temperature during primordial differentiation (PD) and pollen filling (PF) stages has been rarely studied. In this paper, two temperature treatments (40 °C and 30 °C) at the two stages (PD and PF) were imposed to four rice groups under the controlled temperature chambers. Compared with rice under normal temperature, high temperature-stressed rice showed accelerated growth rate, smaller caryopsis and decreased yield. Moreover, high temperature affected the starch physicochemical properties, resulting in lower apparent amylose content and higher order degree, gelatinization temperatures, and thereby increased peak, trough and final viscosities in starch. High temperature during PD stage inhibited cell development and starch deposition, thus leading to small starch granule and low retrogradation. However, temperature-stressed rice during PF stage showed increased starch accumulation and larger granule size. Therefore, effects of high temperature during the two stages on caryopsis development and starch properties were partly similar but also notably different. These results enriched and deepened the study of high temperature-stressed rice and served as an important reference for the processing and utilization of rice starch in food industry.

Influence of Fiber Addition on White Sauces Made with Corn Starch: Effect on Their Freezing/Thawing Stability

Fiber-enriched white sauces with apple (AF401), potato (KF200), and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) were selected among six white sauces, all of them elaborated by replacing corn starch and milk with 3% of different dietary fibers. It was investigated the freezing/thawing (F/T) stability of these three enriched white sauces studying their physico-chemical (color, syneresis percentage, total soluble solids content), rheological (viscoelastic and steady measurements), and sensorial properties before and after a freezing/thawing treatment. White sauce with MCC resulted in being the most like the control (without fiber) showing a higher elasticity and a heat stability. Moreover, the sauce elaborated with MCC has a sensorial profile as a traditional corn starch sauce with high "creaminess" and lower "heterogeneity" after the F/T treatment. Therefore, the properties provided by MCC make this product interesting in food design, and MCC sauce could be used as an industrial frozen fiber-enriched white sauce. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: These days, there is an increase in the demand of precooked frozen dishes due to current lifestyles and because the use of fiber exhibits many proven health benefits. A béchamel sauce made from corn starch and enriched with different fibers was elaborated, frozen and thawed in microwave. Both fresh and frozen/thawed microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) sauces exhibited very similar rheological and sensorial properties to an industrial and traditional frozen white sauce without fiber. Therefore, MCC-enriched white sauce resulted to be a feasible strategy to produce a white sauce suitable for frozen dishes with good functional properties and sensorial quality.

Effect of Nitrogen Management on the Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Rice Starch

Nitrogen management (nitrogen application ratio at transplanting, tillering, and panicle initiation growth stages) is an important parameter in crop cultivation and is closely associated with rice yield and grain quality. The physicochemical and structural properties of starches separated from two rice varieties grown under three different nitrogen management ratios (9:1; 7:3; 6:4) were investigated. As the percentage of nitrogen used in the panicle initiation stage increased, the content of small starch granules improved, whereas the content of large granules decreased. Amylose content decreased with increasing nitrogen ratio at the panicle initiation stage, thereby resulting in high swelling power, water solubility, gelatinization enthalpy, and low retrogradation. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the starches were found to be A type. The present study indicated that the best nitrogen management ratio for the cultivation of rice with the highest yield, desirable starch physicochemical properties for high quality cooked rice, and a moderate protein level is 7:3.

Characterization of multi-scale structure and thermal properties of Indica rice starch with different amylose contents

Fully understanding the relationship between multi-scale structure and thermal properties of rice starch is important for starch-based food processing.