Maize starch for industrial applications

Abstract

Starch is used in many industrial applications as viscosifiers, emulsifiers, defoaming agents, for encapsulation, and as sizing agents. Starches are valued for their ability to impart textural characteristics and provide gelling or film formation. Much of the starch used for industrial purposes must be chemically or physically modified to improve performance or provide functional persistence. Increasingly, however, as the genetics behind starch biosynthesis are better understood, native starches can be selected to allow chemical or physical modification protocols to be optimized or to be more fully utilized as non-modified starches. This review discusses the types of starch commonly used in industry, the development and availability of specialty corn types, breeding methods used, and the challenges and potentials for new approaches.