Laboratory Exercise #4.

7 – Type of Starch Gels

FTC 23.2 A

Jeremy Dawn Z. Caballero

Analysis
Starch gelatinization is defined by Santos (2019) from Science Meets Food
Organization as “the process where starch and water are subjected to heat causing the
starch granules to swell.” Starch gels have viscous and transparent texture. Starch gels is
used in sauces, puddings, creams, and other food products to provide a increase in texture.
In this experiment, the objective is to compare the characteristics of different starch gels and
to determine the effect of sugar on starch gels.
Upon the making of starch gels, it depends on the type of starch that is used and the
components of amylose and amylopectin present, and as well as the amount of water
added. The two components of starch behave differently on canning, with amylose giving an
opaque solution that sets to a firm gel on cooling and with amylopectin forming a translucent
paste that remains fluid when cooled. The swelling of the starch granules during canning or
other heat processes causes cellular disruption, which gives a softening in texture and
increased savory to the product.
In order to improved the quality of starch gels, various analytical techniques have
been done and these are:  viscometry, optical microscopy, electron microscopy, differential
scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray
scattering. In optical microscopy, the starch granules that undergoes the gelatinization
process was observed and also, the degree and duration of swelling, as well as the integrity
and size of the swollen granules.
In the supposed experiment, the starch gels used were corn, cassava, rice (C-4), and
rice (malagkit). Supposedly, in the experiment, the transparency and texture of the four
samples is collected and compared amongst each other. Also, after comparing the
transparency and textures of the sample, it was then added with sugar to see the changes of
each sample. The effect of sugar when added into starch gels is that “the displacement of
the water inside the starch granule and the lower water activity.” (Beleia et. Al., 1996).

References:
Santos, D. (2019, August 29). Starch Gelatinization. Science Meets Food.
https://sciencemeetsfood.org/starch-gelatinization/
Beleia, A., Miller, R. A., & Hoseney, R. C. (1996). Starch Gelatinization in Sugar Solutions.
Starch - Starke, 48(7–8), 259–262. https://doi.org/10.1002/star.19960480705