Texturisers

Botanical source sets the starting behaviour. Potato Starch gelatinises at a lower temperature and gives a high viscosity, clear paste. Corn Starch gives a cloudy paste that sets to a firm gel. Wheat Starch is lower in viscosity and carries a distinct flavour. Pea Starch is high in amylose and sets firmly enough for noodles and jelly sweets.

Modification then supplies what a native starch cannot do. Cross linking, as in Acetylated Distarch Phosphate, holds granules together through acid, heat and shear so a sauce does not thin in the retort. Stabilisation by acetylation, present in that product and in Acetylated Distarch Adipate, slows retrogradation and keeps a sauce smooth through freezing and thawing. Acid Treated Starch is broken down deliberately to cut viscosity, allowing high solids cooking in gum confectionery. Modified Starch as a label covers all of these, so the specific treatment should always be named.