Gums and starches

Gums and starches are used as thickening agents and in the preparation of many products in the food industry. There are numerous plant constituents under investigation by scientists that can be used cheaply and effectively in various food products. The following are only a few examples to indicate that plants have diverse use in the food industry. 

Dhaincha gum Sesbania bispinosa, family Leguminosae Papiliono-ideae) This is distributed in the Indian subcontinent and is presently under investigation. Results have already shown that Dhaincha gum has similar uses to those already established for Guar gum (Haq, 1989b). In addition to these uses, dhaincha can be used for fibres and in the paper industry. 

Grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus and A. caudatus) The starch of grain amaranths has extremely small granules and has a high water absorption capacity. As such, the starch can be used in the food industry, in making high quality plastics, in cosmetics and in other industries. Natural dye can also be extracted for colouring. 

Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentun) Buckwheat also has fine quality starch and can be used similar to amaranths. Buckwheat is already used in the food industry in India. 

In addition to these species, there are several species that are already used in food industries for starch. These include maize, sorghum, taro, colocasia, sweet potato, cassava, Dioscorea spp., breadfruit and jackfruit. 

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Gums and starches were used in early attempts to replace the viscosity and lubricity of oils in foods. These were not well received by consumers because they assumed fats merely suppHed mouthfeel and a bit of flavor. On closer examination, it became evident that fats in food and in the diet performed many roles, some simple, some extremely complex, some understood, and some not understood. 

Thickening agents can be of natural or synthetic origin. Various natural gums and starches have been used traditionally in many printing styles. The materials from which they are extracted are valuable sources of foodstuffs, so availability and cost can depend on fluctuating demand from the food industry. The properties required of an ideal thickener can be summarised as follows [352] ... 

It is claimed that gellan gum is compatible with gelatine, xanthan gum, locust bean gum and starch. 

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