Starches and Sugars

Outside of the use of cellulose for papermaking, starch is the most widely used plant-derived carbohydrate for non-food uses. Around 60 million tonnes of raw starch are produced per year for food and non-food uses. The US accounts for most of the world s production, utilising starch from maize, which accounts for over 80% of world production. The starch market in the US is driven by the large isoglucose sweetener market and now increasingly by the growing bioethanol market, which uses maize as a fermentation feedstock. Europe derives most of its starch from wheat and potatoes, which account for 8% and 5% of world starch production, respectively. The other main source of starch is cassava (tapioca), produced in South East Asia. Small amounts of oat, barley and rice are also exploited for starch production. Many edible beans are also rich in starches, but are not commonly exploited for non-food uses. 

Starch production in Europe is currently constrained by a starch quota system that offers financial incentives to first processors, designed to prevent overproduction in the food sector. Opening up of new industrial market outlets would enable a reassessment of current quota limits imposed on member states, and enable wider participation in starch production across the European Union. 

Starches may be used directly as feedstocks, or in more technical uses in modified form (typically as starch esters and ethers), or simply converted to glucose syrups for use in industrial fermentation processes or for onward conversion to isoglucose (fructose). After use of unmodified starches in ethanol production, the largest industrial user of both unmodified and modified starches is the papermaking 

One of the anticipated growth areas for industrial uses of plants is in development of non-brittle, durable polymers from renewable plant feedstocks (in both biodegradable and non-biodegradable forms). Starch and sugars are currently used commercially as feedstocks for polyester production utilising microbial monomer and polymer fermentation systems (see Chapter 5 for more information). 

Other fermentation polymer products in development include polyhydroxybutyrate-co-polyhydroxyhexanoates (PHBH). 

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Carbohydrates include cellulose, starches, and sugars. Examples C6H1206, glucose sucrose. 

There may be more than one hydroxyl group in an organic molecule. Polyalcohols are widely found in nature as all starchs and sugars are polyalcohols including sucrose (table sugar), and all fats, both vegetable and animal, are derivatives of glycerine. 

Almost all the oxygen in the atmosphere ( 21%) is the allotropic form of molecular oxygen (Oj). This essential gas we breathe is the result of photosynthesis, which is how green plants (with chlorophyll) use the energy of the sun to convert carbon dioxide (CO ) and water to starches and sugars with molecular oxygen as the by-product. 

Kolf in 1890 for use as a smokeless proplnt, but also suitable as a blasting expl. It was prepd by nitration of residues from flour mills, starch and sugar plants, distilleries, breweries, etc. Oil cakes, moss, and pine needles were also nitrated. The resulting nitrated substances were treated under 5 atm press with sulfides or polysulfides, and then mixed with saltpeter previously saturated with Nitrobenzene Refs 1) Daniel (1902), 394 2) Fedoroff... 

Dextrin is a hydrolysis product intermediate betw starches and sugars, such as dextrose (see next item). It does not give the blue iodine reaction of starch and is not fermentable, but is changed to maltose by the action of enzymes (diastase) and to dextrose by the action of acids... 

CARBOHYDRATES ARE IN MANY OF OUR MOST VALUABLE FOODSTUFFS AS STARCH AND SUGARS. 

Processing starches and sugars into industrial and consumer products... 

Sweeteners can be classified into two categories, bulk and intense. The bulk sweeteners are used in the food industry both as sweeteners and as bulking agents. They also offer preservative and bodying effect. They are metabolized by the body and provide calories. They include glucose, fructose, maltose, products hydrolyzed from starch, and sugar alcohols. These sweeteners vary in sweetness over a narrow range from 0.3 to 1.2 times the sweetness of sucrose. The bulk sweeteners are permitted in a number of specified foodstuffs at quantum satis—as much as needed (2,6,8-10). 

Starches and sugar are the two forms of carbohydrates. Grains, cereals, peas, beans, potatoes, and wheat pasta are good starch sources. Fruits and milk products provide fructose and lactose, two beneficial forms of sugar. 

Food combining (the Hay diet ) advises against combining starch and sugar with protein and acid fruits. At least 4 h should separate starch and protein meals. Protein, starch, and fats are eaten in small quantities, and all refined and processed foods are prohibited. This diet is said to improve arthritis and digestive problems. 

Lutin, F., Bailly, M., and Bar, D. 2002. Process improvements with innovative technologies in the starch and sugar industries. Desalination 148, 121-124. 

H. Roper, Renewable raw materials in Europe-Industrial utilisation of starch and sugar, Starch/Starke, 54 (2002) 89-99. 

Nitrogen-free extract. This comprises the digestible carbohydrates, i.e. starch and sugars. 

Preparation of Chloral—Chloral is obtained according to a process 3 devised by the Chernische Fabrik auf Aktien (vorm. E. Schering), if alcohol is permitted to flow into the anode chamber of the cell during the electrolysis of a potassium-chloride solution. Glucose, starch, and sugar thus also yield chloral. 

Lignocellulose, which comprises the main construction material of plant biomass, accounts for up to 90% of all biomass and is formed in amounts of approximately 1.5 trillion tons per year [12]. Consequently, lignocellulose is much more abundant than available amounts of vegetable oils, starch, and sugar crops. In addition to the high abundance of lignocellulose, it is inedible, and its utilization as feedstock for production of biofuels and chemicals could drastically reduce challenges of food versus fuel production. 

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