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.

Selected Publications on Starch

General:

D.S. Jackson. 1993/2003 Starch: Structure, chemical properties and analysis. In: Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition, R. Macrae, R. Robinson, and M. Sadler, eds. Academic Press Limited, London. (Revised Edition, 2003: 5561-5567.)

D.S. Jackson. 1993/2003 Starch: Functional Properties. In: Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition, R. Macrae, R. Robinson, and M. Sadler, eds. Academic Press Limited, London. (Revised Edition, 2003:5572-5575.)

D.S. Jackson and D.L. Shandera, Jr. 1995. Corn Wet Milling: Separation Chemistry and Technology. In: Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, J.E. Kinsella and S.L. Taylor, eds. Academic Press, San Diego, CA USA.

W.S. Ratnayake and D.S. Jackson. 2003. Starch: Sources and Processing. In: Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition, Revised 2nd Edition: 5567-5572.

Specific:

W. Zhang and D.S. Jackson. 1992. Retrogradation behavior of wheat starch gels with differing molecular profiles. Journal of Food Science: 57(6):1428-1432.

D. Sahai and D.S. Jackson. 1994. Structure and chemical properties of partially heated corn starch granules. Starch/Stärke 46(12):457-463.

J-P. Mua and D.S. Jackson. 1995. Gelatinization and solubility properties of commercial oat starch. Starch/Stärke 47(1):2-7.

C.T. Mokhoro and D.S. Jackson 1995. Starch related changes in stored soft sorghum porridges. Journal of Food Science 60(2):399-404.

Shandera, D.L. and Jackson, D.S. 1996. Effect of Corn Wet-Milling Conditions (Sulfur Dioxide, Lactic Acid, and Steeping Temperatures) on Starch Functionality. Cereal Chem. 73:632-637.

Mua, J.P. and Jackson, D.S. 1997. Fine structure of corn amylose and amylopectin fractions with various molecular weights.J. Agric. Food Chem. 45: 3840-3847.

Mua, J.P. and Jackson, D.S. 1997. Relationships between functional attributes and molecular structures of amylose and amylopectin fractions from corn starch. J. Agric. Food Chem. 45: 3848-3854.

Mua, J.P., Rosowski, J.R. and Jackson, D.S. 1997. Initial Phase Solubilization of Normal Corn Starch by Methyl Sulfoxide (DMSO): Evidence from Scanning Electron Microscopy and Size Exclusion Chromatography. Starch 49:401-407.

Mua, J.P. and Jackson, D.S. 1998. Retrogradation and gel textural attributes of corn starch amylose and amylopectin fractions. Journal of Cereal Science 27:157-.66.

Sahai, D. and Jackson, D.S. 1999. Enthalpic Transitions in Native Starch Granules.Cereal Chem. 76(3):444-448.

Ozcan, S. and Jackson, D.S. 2002 The Impact of Thermal Events on Amylose-Fatty Acid Complexes. Starch/Stärke 54(12):593-602.

Ozcan, S. and Jackson, D.S. 2003. A response surface analysis of commercial corn starch annealing. Cereal Chem. 80(2):241-243.

Guo, G., Jackson, D.S., Graybosch, R.A., and Parkhurst, A.M. 2003. Asian salted noodle quality: Impact of amylose content adjustments using waxy wheat flour. Cereal Chem. 80(4):437-445.

Guo, G., Jackson, D.S., Graybosch, R.A., and Parkhurst, A.M. 2003. Wheat tortilla quality: Impact of amylose content adjustments using waxy wheat flour. Cereal Chem. 80(4):427-436.

Ozcan, S. and Jackson, D.S. 2005. Functionality Behavior of Raw and Extruded Corn Starch Mixtures. Cereal Chem. 82(2):223-227.

Yglesias, R. and Jackson, D.S. 2005. Evaluation of liquid nitrogen freeze drying and ethanol dehydration as methods to preserve partially cooked starch and masa systems. Cereal Chem. 82(6):702-705.

Ratnayake, W. and Jackson, D.S. 2006. Gelatinization and Solubility of Corn Starch during Heating in Excess Water: New Insights. J. Agric. Food Chem. 54(10): 3712−3716.

Ratnayake, W. S. and Jackson, D. S. 2006. A new insight into the gelatinization process of native starches. Carbohydrate Polymers In Press. (Abstract)