Modified food starch heat treatments

Food Starch, Modified, usually occurs as white or nearly white powders as intact granules and if pregelatinized (that is, subjected to heat treatment in the presence of water), as flakes, amorphous powders, or coarse particles. Modified food starches are products of the treatment of any of several grain-or root-based native starches (for example, com, sorghum, wheat, potato, tapioca, and sago), with small amounts of certain chemical agents, which modify the physical characteristics of the native starches to produce desirable properties. 

The greatest diversity of uses of tapioca starch is in the food industry (see Chapter 20). As an ingredient in foods, native and modified tapioca starch has been widely utilized. Tapioca pearls (previously called sago pearls since they were made from sago [Metroxylon spp.] starch) are also familiar to many. The pearls formed in spherical shape are a mixture of gelatinized and ungelatinized starch produced by heat-moisture treatment. To produce tapioca pearls the starch is wetted to equilibrium of 50%... 

Hazardous Decomp. Prods. Heated to decomp., emits toxic fumes of POx and Na20 Uses Corrosion/scale inhibitor, sequestrant for water treatment prep, of food starch modified buffer, chelating agent in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals... 

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