Alpha Starch (Pre-Gelatin Starch)

DESCRIPTION OF ALPHA POWDER

Modified tapioca starch, Tapioca starch

Pregelatinized Starches – Alpha starch (α) is a type of starch modified by physical methods derived from corn, potatoes, wheat, cassava tubers – cassava tubers. Alpha starch – Pregelatinized Starches are widely used in the food industry, animal feed, pharmaceutical industry, heavy industry, etc.

In this article, Starch In Food VN would like to mention alpha starch derived from cassava tubers, because it is cheap, Non-GMO and widely used around the world.

STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF ALPHA STARCH – PREGELATINIZED STARCH

To create alpha starch we need to Gelatinize the starch, this means the molecular bonds in the starch will break in the presence of water and heat.

Simply put, Pregelatinized Starches are a starch that has been pre-cooked, then dried in a starch mill on a drum dryer or in an extruder and finally ground into powder form.

α Starch – Pregelatinized Starches have the following properties:

Alpha Starch with low gelatinization temperature is soluble in water at a temperature of 10 – 12 degrees Celsius, and can be dissolved in cold water.
It is a fine white powder, with larger particle size than other modified types such as E1422, E1412,…
α Starch has lower viscosity than other modified types
It absorbs water quickly making digestion easy hence it is used as a disintegrant
It will help improve the flow characteristics of the mixed powder, and does not require as much lubricant
Pregelatinized Starches are compatible with virtually all other active ingredients and additives

APPLICATIONS OF ALPHA MODIFIED STARCH

Pregelatinized starch is used a lot in our daily lives, in dishes and foods such as:

Food industry: Pregelatinized starch is used as a thickener or stabilizer in food products such as puddings, soup mixes, candy, baby foods, cakes, confections, desserts and drinking milk, frozen foods, functional drinks, powdered foods, sauces, beverages

In cosmetic industry: Alpha starch is used as an additive ingredient in cosmetic products. It serves as a capsule diluent, as a binder and allows the starch to absorb water easily and helps the tablet dissolve properly.
In the food production industry: Pregelatinized Starch is easily soluble in water and quickly absorbed, so it is used as a thickener and binder in animal feed and aquatic feed.
In other industries: Alpha starch is used as a stabilizer and additive in plastics and heavy industry