I. Uses, Efficacy, and Important Roles in Various Industries of Modified Starch
Modified starch is produced through physical, chemical, or biological modifications. After molecular structure optimization, it possesses properties not found in natural starch. Its core functions include improving product processing adaptability, enhancing sensory quality, and extending shelf life. Some types can also assist in nutritional fortification, such as acting as a thickener in infant formula to stabilize nutrients and facilitate swallowing and digestion.
In the food processing field, besides increasing volume and elasticity in baking and retaining water and tenderizing meat products, it can also prevent whey separation in dairy products (such as yogurt and ice cream), enhance the freeze resistance of dough in frozen foods (such as dumplings and glutinous rice balls), and achieve high-temperature sterilization without separation, improving the smoothness of sauces.
It has a wide range of applications in the industrial field: in papermaking, it is also used as a sizing agent to improve printing clarity; in textiles, it is used as a warp sizing agent to reduce yarn breakage and improve the hand feel and luster of fabrics; in oil drilling, it reduces mud filtration loss and protects the well wall; in smelting, it is also used as a flocculant to improve mineral recovery rate; in construction, it can optimize the adhesion and scrub resistance of coatings and enhance the stability of wallpaper adhesives.
