Starch Analysis Methods and Capabilities

We determine Total Starch, Starch Damage and Amylose/Amylopectin ratios using enzymatic or colorimetric assays.

Starch Viscosity properties are determined using either a Rapid Visco-Analyzer (RVA) or a Brabender Visco-Amylograph. Our capabilities include using the RVA with a wide-range of heating/cooling profiles with different shear (spindle speed) settings or the more traditional heating/cooling rates for both the RVA and Brabender Visco-Amylograph.

Various techniques can be used to measure Percent Gelatinization, including enzymatic assays, microscopy (light microscopy percent birefringence), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and by analyzing the results from several of the other (related) techniques outlined on this page. Many processors have also found that our measurement of starch water solubility (WSI) and starch water absorption/holding capacity (WAI) provides them with valuable information on the ingredient or process characteristics. We also use DSC to determine the degree of starch retrogradation in foods or ingredients, or to follow the retrogradation process during food storage.

We measure starch gel texture using a Texture Analyzer. Gel texture provides information on firming/retrogradation and storage stability.

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is often useful for the characterization of starch-granule status in complex food or ingredient systems, for the identification of starch-types in foods/ingredients or characterizing the size & shape of granules in specialty grains.

High Performance Size-Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) of starch allows for the determination of degree depolymerization (from shear, enzymes or other causes) during processing of starch and starch-based ingredients or foods. Many of the physical-chemical properties of foods are influenced by the molecular size or weight of the various amyloses and amylopectin polymers that make up the products. With the application of HPSEC coupled with multi-angle laser-light scattering (MALLS) allows for the calculation of starch polymer molecular weights and often, degree of branching. This technique is especially useful in determining if a process in impacting your ingredient/product consistently (i.e., is an enzymatic modification occurring reproducibly or is screw wear during extrusion processing reducing desirable partial starch depolymerization?)

For those working with unique starch-types, corn, wheat or specialty grains we employ various starch isolation techniques so that the functionality of your starch ingredient can be assessed. For most grains we employ (and modify as necessary) a small-scale wet-milling process; for wheat, we include appropriate gluten-washing steps.