As an important food resource, starch is an important material in food preparation. However, there are many disadvantages of natural starch, such as unstable structure, poor solubility, etc. Natural starch can no longer meet the current demand of food processing, which requires some technical means to change the physical and chemical properties of natural starch.

Modified starch refers to the use of physical, chemical or enzymatic methods to change the original properties of natural starch on the basis of natural starch. At present, more than 1000 kinds of modified starch have been successfully developed, and the average annual output of the world is about 30 million t. The properties of different kinds of modified starch differ greatly. Different kinds of modified starch have great differences in their properties, such as low pasting temperature of acetate starch, high freeze-thaw stability, high paste transparency, carboxymethyl starch with high transparency and viscosity, etc. According to their different properties, modified starch can be used in a variety of ways. According to its different properties, modified starch is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, paper making and other industries.

Water holding capacity of different original starches and modified starches

Xu Hua et al. showed that the water retention of potato starch, corn starch and tapioca starch was significantly improved after processing into modified starch. Among them, potato hydroxypropyl starch has the highest water-holding capacity, potato hydroxypropyl starch has high swelling and high water-holding capacity at low temperature;

In corn acetate starch, tapioca acetate starch, and potato acetate starch, potato acetate starch had high water-holding property, and the water-holding property of corn and tapioca acetate starch was basically the same;

In cassava modified starch, the water-holding property of cassava hydroxypropyl and cassava cross-linked hydroxypropyl starch is basically the same, and cassava acetate ester has improved the water-holding property of starch after cross-linked esterification. Effectively reduce the product after refrigeration water loss, drying and cracking phenomenon.

Next we summarize the specific application of modified starch in various development of food:

Modified starch compound addition to

Improvement of potato instant noodles is obvious

Liu Yuhuan et al. in the addition of a single modified starch test results show that, through the principal component analysis method, when the proportion of starch acetate added 3%, hydroxypropyl starch, phosphate starch and octenyl succinate starch ester added 2% of the proportion of the quality of potato instant noodles to improve the role of better.

In the modified starch compounding test, when the addition ratio of hydroxypropyl starch + acetate starch and hydroxypropyl starch + octenyl succinate starch ester was 1.5% +1.5%, the normalized composite scores were 1 and 0.6979, respectively, which had the best quality improvement effect on potato instant noodles.

The final study concluded that the addition of modified starch had a significant improvement effect on the quality of potato instant noodles through principal component analysis, and the compound addition of modified starch was better than the addition of a single modified starch for the improvement of potato instant noodles.

The effects of xanthan gum and modified starch in

Enhance the taste of instant noodle soup base application

Domestic instant noodle seasoning, the early imitation of the traditional family kitchen cooking sauce, the use of fats and solid raw materials, through cooking to produce a strong aroma and heavy flavor, in order to meet the consumer’s pursuit of color and flavor, but the sauce solids content is more, homogeneity and fluidity is poor. The same as the instant noodle consumption of large countries in Japan, its instant noodle sauce more fluid raw materials, aseptic filling, sauce solids content is small, uniform texture, good fluidity, and after flushing the soup base is rich, soup sense, cooking sense is more adequate.

In recent years, with the upgrading of consumption, more and more consumers need more catered convenience food, the sauce packet of instant noodles has been partially upgraded to high soup packet, how to reflect the soup base of the rich and thick sense, is a topic to be explored.

The results of Yining Zhang’s study showed that a single addition of xanthan gum or acetylated bis-amyl adipate in the seasoned high soup packets used in the experiment could not satisfy both the sense of thickness of the soup base after brewing and maintain a good fluidity of the sauce before brewing. In order to obtain better thickening effect and stability, xanthan gum and modified starch were used in combination, and when the addition ratio was 0.2% xanthan gum, +1% acetylated bis-amyl adipate, +1% sodium amylopectin octenyl succinate, the viscosity of the soup base was significantly improved compared with the blank samples, and the taste preference and taste suitability were optimal.

Application of different cassava modified starches in preserved wet noodles

The accelerated pace of modern life and the improvement of refrigeration technology have increased the consumption of preserved wet noodles year by year, but there are problems such as high breakage rate, muddy soup and short storage time. Studies have shown that adding a certain amount of modified starch to flour can improve the processing characteristics and quality of fresh wet noodles.

Tapioca starch is widely used in practical production because of its excellent characteristics. Due to the shortcomings of the original starch itself, transparency and freeze-thaw stability can be significantly improved by denaturation. The conclusions of Hu Yanling et al. in the comparative study of four tapioca deformed starches, namely, tapioca raw starch, tapioca acetate starch, tapioca hydroxypropyl starch, and tapioca oxidized starch, are as follows:

(1) The optimal formula for preserved wet noodles was 1 g of salt, 1.5 g of soybean oil, 5 g of tapioca acetate starch, and 38 g of water.

(2) Comparing the four different tapioca starches, tapioca oxidized starch had the best paste transparency, followed by tapioca acetate starch; tapioca acetate and tapioca hydroxypropyl starch had the best freeze-thaw stability.

(3) When four tapioca starches were applied to preserved wet noodles for quality improvement, tapioca acetate starch had the longest cooking time and the smallest stripe breakage rate; the addition of 5% tapioca acetate gave the highest sensory score for preserved wet noodles.

Application of modified starch in oyster sauce production

In the process of oyster sauce production, after mixing, homogenization, high temperature sterilization and other steps, the oyster sauce body becomes unstable, water and delamination occurs during storage and transportation, affecting the product body. The addition of thickening stabilizers can improve the viscosity of oyster sauce, maintain the relative stability of the body, and at the same time can change the physical properties of oyster sauce products, giving it a viscous, suitable taste.

Starch is the main component of oyster sauce thickening stabilizer, domestic starch production of oyster sauce body thin, easy to melt the water layer, there is a greater quality risks; foreign starch prices are high, and demand exceeds supply. Therefore, the development of modified starch has become an urgent problem to be solved.

The research results of Wang Cong et al. showed that the waxy corn starch was mixed with corn original starch according to the ratio of 4:1 to make starch slurry, 15% vinyl acetate was added for esterification reaction for 1h, and then 8% propylene oxide was added for etherification reaction for 1.5h, and 9% sodium trimetaphosphate was added for cross-linking reaction for 2h, to get the modified starch acetylated di-amyl phosphate, which was then applied to oyster sauce, which was used to maintain the same taste and texture. On the basis of keeping the taste unchanged, the stability of oyster sauce body can be improved and the production cost can be greatly reduced.

Application of Compound Modified Starch in Doughs

Pasta products are prone to regrowth in low temperature environment and high oil absorption when frying, which seriously affects their taste and nutrition and restricts the development of the industry. The application of modified starch in pasta products has become particularly important because it helps to improve the defects of pasta products. In recent years, the research on the application of modified starch in noodle products has been highly emphasized.

Compound modified starch has reduced coagulability, moderate viscosity, transparency, freeze-thaw stability, pasting temperature and other properties have been improved to varying degrees, of which the 1:2:1 group (acetate starch: carboxymethyl starch: hydroxypropyl di-amyl phosphate) has the best performance, and is suitable for use in the production of dough. Adding appropriate amount of complex modified starch to the dough can effectively improve its water holding capacity, and the best amount is 5.0%.

The addition of compound modified starch could improve the textural properties of the dough, the shear force and toughness of the raw dough increased, the hardness and chewiness of the cooked billet decreased, the elasticity increased, and the cooked billet had the highest organoleptic score when the addition amount was 7.5%.

Yue Shuhang et al. concluded that modified starch can well synthesize its advantages after compounding to meet the production needs and improve the quality of products. The addition amount of compound modified starch in dough production is 5%~7.5% as the best.

Application of modified starch in quick-frozen foods

Quick-freezing is to reduce the temperature around the food, and this method is widely used in the production, processing, transportation and storage of fish, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits and other perishable foods.

Application of esterified starch in quick-frozen dumplings

Esterified starch has been successfully used in quick-frozen dumplings, which is determined by its own nature. It has the following characteristics: strong water absorption and good water retention; certain emulsification; good film-forming property and low temperature stability. In the freezing process of multi-component substances, there is a critical state called glassy state, in which many transformations occur, such as small molecules (water) from liquid to solid, and macromolecules (proteins, starch) from viscoelastic to brittle, in which case the part curing is not permanent. Under flow conditions, many components tend to aggregate and form large ice crystals, destroying the structure of the product and changing the taste of the product; at the same time, the thawing process also leads to problems such as loss of soup.

Adding esterified modified starch can effectively disperse free water, reduce the surface tension of fluid substances, prevent the accumulation of fluids and the formation of large ice crystals, safely pass the glass transition process and ensure product quality. Esterified starch has low pasting temperature and good film-forming performance. In the cooking process of quick-frozen dumplings, modified starch pastes before other starches, and its film-forming property hinders the dissolution of other starches.

Application of pre-gelatinized modified starch in frozen dumplings

In the traditional production of soup dumplings, there is a blanching process, which is susceptible to external factors (such as temperature) and human factors, resulting in fluctuations in the quality of blanching. Excessive blanching will make the dough sticky, and insufficient packing will make the dough fall apart and not easy to form dough. Using the properties of good cold water solubility and high viscosity of pregelatinized modified starch, the hot blanching process is eliminated, and the dough is directly adjusted by using cold water, which is convenient for controlling the quality of dough and ensuring the uniformity of product quality.

Pregelatinized starch has good water retention and low temperature stability. It can prevent water loss and cracks on the surface of broth during rapid cooling process. Pregelatinized starch has good viscoelasticity and structure, which improves tensile elasticity and maintains tensile morphology.

The results of Qianna Yang’s study showed that the freeze-thaw resistance, water retention and shape retention of crosslinked and esterified dual-modified starch could enable quick-frozen soup dumplings to maintain their original properties and prevent juice loss and ulceration during repeated freezing and thawing in the cycling and storage process. The shear resistance and high temperature resistance of cross-linked and esterified double modified starch can meet different process requirements, such as strong shear mixing, high temperature sterilization. Crosslinked and esterified double modified starch paste is short and delicate with smooth texture, which can make dumpling filling with good shape and taste.

Research on the application of modified starch in burrito making

Adding modified starch in frozen burrito effectively improves the aging of starch in frozen dough, and the added modified starch has high viscosity, strong water absorption, improves the gloss of the crust easy to process and shape, good water retention, good freeze-thaw stability, and is not easy to stick during storage and transportation. Due to the low pasting temperature of modified starch, to ensure that the color of the product white, easy for consumers to accept easy to buy; in the -18 ℃ low-temperature freezing, to prevent the surface of the burrito fracture, improve the water retention of the burrito, good water retention and elasticity; microwave heating, to prevent cracking of the burrito, the surface of the smooth toughness and texture of the sinewy to ensure that the appearance of the product and the intrinsic taste to obtain the consumer’s favorite.

Application exploration of modified starch in bakery products

In recent years, the types of baked goods have gradually increased, and people have put forward higher quality requirements for baked goods, while native starch has performance defects that restrict its application in food processing, especially in baked goods, the defects of natural starch are mainly reflected in:

① Relatively poor taste, mainly because the paste filaments in the native starch are relatively poor and insufficiently stabilized, making it impossible to obtain a good taste.

② The stability of viscosity is relatively poor. Starch is a natural resource with varieties, geographical and other differences, and its viscosity cannot be maintained in a relatively stable state during the production process of starch.

③ Poor stability. In the process of food processing, with mechanical processing links, such as processing extrusion, its poor stability affects the processing and production process.

④ It is very easy to be interfered by external environmental factors, such as the temperature conditions of processing.

⑤ The stability of the paste is insufficient, and it is very susceptible to problems such as aging.

⑥ Poor solubility.

Zhang Xinqi’s research shows that modified starch is safe to use and can be widely used in baked goods or other foods. For bakery products, the starch used must maintain good characteristics, for example, the cooking characteristics are greatly improved, through the change of the paste filament length to effectively protect the taste of baked goods; modified starch also has a shear and frost resistance; film-forming properties are greatly improved; hydrophilic groups make starch has anti-aging properties, to avoid the aging of the paste; and hydrophobic groups make starch has good emulsification properties.

Application in baking jam

In the process of baking jam, we should try to use food thickeners with relatively good high temperature resistance, generally pectin, to a certain extent, to avoid problems such as collapse during processing, but its cost is also relatively high, it can be used to replace pectin with modified starch, which is relatively good in performance and relatively low in price, and it can guarantee the good texture of baked food.

Application in laminating fruit paste

In baked food, fruit paste is also an important product, in the process of baked food processing and production, fruit paste plays a role in coating, laminating, etc. For baked food, the laminating effect is affected by the quality of the fruit paste and other factors, so it is also necessary to protect the quality of the fruit paste.

In the production of many fruit paste, the advantages of modified starch are gradually played out, for example, the crosslinked stabilized starch produced by way of compound denaturation has the advantages of good brightness, strong plasticity and good emulsification, which is able to form the fruit paste with better quality and greatly improves the quality of the fruit paste. In addition, due to its good emulsification properties, it can be combined with cream and so on, thus presenting a better modification effect in bakery products.

Application in cake products

Cakes must have good anti-aging and antioxidant properties. If ordinary wheat starch is used, due to the large amount of straight-chain starch contained in it, it is very easy to have problems such as dehydration and hardening during the storage process, which greatly reduces the quality of the cake and affects the sales of the cake. Therefore, it is necessary to guarantee that the starch used in cake products has good water retention, so as to avoid problems such as dehydration during long-term storage. Therefore, a certain amount of esterified starch can be used to improve the water retention of starch, so as to enhance the aging resistance of the cake, avoid the deterioration of taste due to dehydration and hardening, and ensure that the cake can be sold smoothly.

Several kinds of cassava modified starch

Study on the effect on the quality of ham and sausage

In recent years, modified starch has been increasingly used in ham and sausage production as a food additive for meat products, and the common ones are acid-treated starch, acetylated diastarch phosphate, and acetate starch. Wang Xiaojun et al. showed that the addition of starch or modified starch to ham and sausage can significantly improve the quality of ham, increase the water retention of the product, make the tissue delicate, elastic, and excellent taste, improve the freeze-thaw stability of the product, further improve the shelf life of the product, increase the yield, and reduce the cost. The addition of cassava acetylated double starch phosphate is more excellent than several other cassava raw materials modified starch to improve product quality.

Modified starch and colloid compound use

Study on the application effect on the quality of coated flour

The crunchiness of fried food is mainly determined by the crunchiness of the surface of the coated powder after frying, and requires a tender and juicy filling and a crispy skin, i.e., the internal moisture content is high, while the moisture content of the skin is low and not hard. Traditionally, the coating flour is a single flour as the main raw material, but due to the flour in the deep-frying oil absorption is large, and the shelf life is not long, a long time will make the product softening phenomenon, reducing the texture of the product.

The addition of modified starch to the coated flour can greatly improve the appearance, color and texture of the product and increase the output rate of the product. Among them, by adding modified starch to the coated powder, the slurry can be made with cold water, and it can also increase the proportion of water and powder in the preparation of slurry, increase the stability and liquidity of the slurry, and enhance the tenderness and juiciness of the products, and it can also reduce the use of thickening agent.

The addition of modified starch to the pre-prepared powder can increase the adhesion between the material and the wrapper, so that it is not easy to shell, but also to enhance the water retention. And the addition of modified starch in the outer wrapping powder can make the products have attractive color and good taste.

Liu Zhenyu et al. in the study of deep-fried coating powder on the basis of the main material, through the addition of a certain amount of modified starch, compound colloid, to get a can significantly improve the quality of fried food compound improver, the formula for the addition of 80% of the flour and corn starch (the ratio of the two 8:2, the addition of 20% of cassava oxidation of hydroxypropyl starch, the addition of 0.3% of the konjac fine powder, gelatin, carboxymethylcellulose sodium triple 1:1 ratio of 1:1:1. (the ratio of 1:1:1), the composite wrapping powder is easy to use, stable quality; the use of the composite wrapping powder produced by the food color, taste are good to improve.