CWS (cold water swelling) / Spray Cooked starches

Abstract

Cold water swelling and spray cooked starches are marketed heavily for instant preparation and convenience aspects of food preparation. Granular cold water swelling/soluble starches are produced by treatment with an alcohol and a strong base to effect swelling of the starch granules and conversion to a form having increased cold water solubility. Spray cooked starches with properties similar as cold water swelling starches by simultaneous cooking and spry drying in a chamber maintained at certain temperature and specific pressure. These ingredient offer unique cold swelling properties and have all properties of granular starch and do not require cooking. Several of sources of starches such as dent, waxy, tapioca and potato offer their unique functionalities.

Specialty starches labeled instant, granular or cold water-swelling hydrate at lower temperatures and eliminate the heating step. In addition to convenience and significant savings in time, labor, energy and equipment, these also improve the quality of delicate products normally harmed by heat.

National starch uses simultaneous cooking and spray drying technology to produce CWS starches. Tate & Lyle, Decatur, Ill., employs innovative alcohol and alkali technology to disrupt the internal crystalline structure of starch granules to allow for hydration or viscosity development without cooking. The resulting line of ingredients listed in the later section. Tate also utilize simultaneous spray cooking technology.

Penford Food Ingredients Co., Denver, focused on creating specialty starches for robust freeze-thaw stability at low usage levels for a variety of frozen soups, sauces, and gravies. The company's modified tapioca starches have clean taste and hold up extraordinarily well in gravies and sauces in steam table conditions, according to Jeff Smith, director of business development. The company's new line of substituted waxy maize starch imparts gloss and sheen in addition to withstanding cold storage or frozen situations.

Total US market for cold water swelling/spray cooked starches is estimated to be 74 MM lbs annually. This includes a wide variety of typical food applications as well as specific specialty applications. Two segments utilize almost 50 mm pounds with one user using ~ 15 mm lbs in single application, pudding.

Researcher: Sakharam K Patil, Ph. D., S. K. Patil & Associates