Functionality
Starch consists of two glucose polymers: amylose and amylopectin. These do not exist freely in nature, but are components of the starch granule. The size, shape and structure of the granules vary substantially between botanical sources. The relative proportion and structural differences between amylose and amylopectin contribute to the significant differences in starch properties and application functionality.
Starch granules are essentially insoluble in cold water. Their unique functional characteristics are the result of three major changes they undergo when heated with water: gelatinization (viscosity increase), pasting and retrogradation. Retrogradation is especially evident when starches containing amylose are cooled, resulting in water release (syneresis).
To meet the changing needs of consumers and food processors, native starches can be adapted to create unique functionalities in consumer products, increasing their versatility in different processing conditions and preparation environments.
| Characteristics | Amylose | Amylopectin |
| Shape | essentially linear | branched |
| Linkage | α-1,4 (some α-1,6) | α-1,4 and α-1,6 |
| Molecular weight | < 0,5 million | 50 - 500 million |
| Film forming | strong | weak |
| Gelling | firm | soft |
| Color with Iodine | blue | reddish brown |
| Starch | Amylose (%) | Amylopectin (%) |
| Maize | 25 | 75 |
| Waxy maize | 1 - 5 | 95 - 99 |
| Wheat | 25 | 75 |
| Potato | 20 | 80 |
| Tapioca | 17 | 83 |
| High Amylose maize | 50 - 70 | 30 - 50 |
Some Cargill products are only approved for use in certain geographies, end uses, and/or at certain usage levels. It is the customer's responsibility to determine, for a particular geography, that (i) the Cargill product, its use and usage levels, (ii) the customer's product and its use, and (iii) any claims made about the customer's product, all comply with applicable laws and regulations.
