Modified Tapioca Starch as a Winning Food Ingredient

 

What Exactly is Modified Starch Used for in the Food Industry?

At a glance, modified starches are broadly used as either a binder, thickener, stabiliser, emulsifier, or gelling agent over a range of processed foods like batters and breadings, dairy and dessert products, soups and sauces, dressings, and even confectionery! They provide advantages like freeze-thaw stability, water-binding capacity, firmness, and moisture retainment.

At Markaids, we are constantly looking for ways to help our customers improve their food quality and manufacturing needs. As we aim to become the preferred partner of choice in the food ingredients industry, we supply the finest modified tapioca starch to manufacturers for its suitable application in bettering foods.

The Power of Modified Tapioca Starch in Different Food Applications

Today, tapioca or cassava root is leading the way as a huge source of modified starch due to its odourless and bland taste, naturally gluten-free and non-allergenic properties, competitive market price, abundance, high production rate, and year-round availability.

A multifaceted ingredient, modified tapioca starch functions to give thickening, texturising, emulsifying, and encapsulating properties in countless culinary products.

Thickening

Modified tapioca starch can be used as a texturising agent to bring out the desired thickness, mouthfeel or texture in foods by means of retaining water or adding viscosity. Some examples of this function in food products are:-

Sauces, condiments, and dressings

  • The velvety smoothness of a rich sauce
  • The luscious creaminess of a dressing
  • Giving thickness in table spread

Emulsifying

As an emulsifying agent, modified tapioca starch helps in stabilising food emulsions (water + oil) and preventing its separation in frozen conditions. An example of this function is:-

Dairy products

  • Improve smooth creamy texture 
  • Reduce ice crystal formation

Vegan condiments

  • Used as an egg yolk replacer in vegan mayonnaise/dressing

Encapsulating

Modified tapioca starch can be used as an encapsulating agent to coat oil-based ingredients (ie. flavours, nutrients, bioactive spice compunds, etc.) for uniform release or minimise loss and degradation of functional properties in order to improve product quality, bodily absorption and enhance sensory experience. Some examples of this function in food products are:-

Encapsulated fat powders

  • Production of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) oil
  • Making of nutritional coconut milk powder